Black Hearted Thief or Brave Hearted Hero?
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: A Yugioh rewrite of Sinbad 2003. Yami is a run-away prince turned sea-faring thief who will do anything to get what he wants. What will happen when Yami is framed for a theft, his brother's life is in danger, and he falls in love? Disclaimers inside.YamiXTea
1. Awkward Reunion

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH BY KAZUKI TAKAHASHI OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS DIRECTED BY TIM JOHNSON AND PATRICK GILMORE, PRODUCED BY DREAMWORKS ANIMATION.**

**Hey there :)! It's been awhile since I've done Yugioh-cast movies XD. As per usual, READ THE FOLLOWING TO UNDERSTAND:**

**CAST**

**Sinbad: Yami (he may come across as a bit of a jerk at first, but you'll see why he acts that way later :)**

**Marina: Tea**

**Proteus: Yugi**

**Proteus's dad (the king): Ahkenamkhanen**

**Eris: Still Eris, but takes on the mortal name "Vivian".**

**Kale: Yami Bakura (Yami's first mate)**

**Spike: Kuriboh**

**Rat: Joey**

**Sirens: The Harpy Ladies**

**Cetus: Karyushin**

**The giant snow bird thing: Slifer the Sky Dragon**

**Giant fish island thing: Island Turtle**

**Ogres: Hitotsume giants**

**Miscellaneous ship members: Tristan, Ryo, Yami Marik, etc. (Probably not all of the Yugioh characters will appear).**

**CHANGES IN THE STORY (SKIP TO WHERE IT SAYS SPOILER END IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW :)**

**In this story, Yami and Yugi are brothers. Their father Akhenamkhanen was the Prince of Egypt and their mother, Nafre, was the princess of Greece. They were married but Nafre died after Yugi was born so now Akhenamkhanen rules Greece and Egypt from Greece. Yugi and Yami both take after their mother with pale skin, but Yami has his dad's crimson eyes and adventurous attitude (they do not get along because they are so much alike). Yami was supposed to take over the throne, but he wanted to be an adventurer of the sea so he ran away, stole a ship, and became who he is currently. Also, Yugi and Tea are expected to marry, but they love each other ONLY as friends. SPOILER END**

**I have tried to follow the movie line-for-line but some things may be changed, added, or omitted. I will do my best to make everything clear and detailed so that those who have not seen the original movie will understand the plot :).**

Dark skies….shimmering stars….clouds of queer and grotesque colors….symbols and ancient writing yet to be deciphered….these were the distinctive features in Tartarus, realm of chaos…..at least for the moment. The surroundings changed constantly, depending on their mistress's mood….and that was one of the many reasons men never came back from the Realm of Chaos alive…for they could easily and hopelessly lose their way.

The aforementioned mistress, Eris, who chose rather to call herself "Vivian", sauntered seductively into the room. She was a beautiful goddess, with flowing black hair and ebony-lashed chocolate eyes….but her heart couldn't have been darker. She delighted in torment, pain, suffering….and most of all, chaos.

Waving a delicate hand, the goddess crooned, "Wake up, my beauties. Rise and shine."

On cue, several beings that had taken on the form of constellations….stirred. They looked up at her, sleepily awaiting whatever news she had to tell them.

Vivian flowed over to a model of the earth in the center of the celestial chamber.

"It's a brand new day and the mortal world is at peace…" her lips twisted into a cruel smile. "But not for long…"

Vivian ran her fingers over the earth's waters, her hands growing wispy in their spirit form.

"Just look at them….I pull one tiny thread and their whole world unravels into chaos….GLORIOUS chaos…"

The goddess hugged herself, loving the feel of the sinister happiness welling within her. This was what she existed for….the complete and utter TORMENT of men….and unfortunately, she had already found her first target.

"What could be more perfect than this?" Her eyes zeroed in impossibly to a tiny speck in the earth model's oceans. It was a blue and white-sailed ship, cruising smoothly over the frothy waters. It was obviously transporting someone or something valuable…or perhaps both. "A noble prince….a priceless treasure…"

The woman's eyes flicked to another object on the sea. This one was a dark-wooded ship with sails the color of blood. It moved quickly….and noiselessly, just far enough away so that the opposing ship could not see its approach.

Vivian grinned madly, saying, "And a black-hearted thief…oh, this is going to be so much fun!" She giggled hysterically and turned to one of her sea-faring minions.

"Karyushin…you know what to do. Let the games begin!"

The sea monster, Karyushin, nodded its heavily-fanged head, rose over the earth….and began to shrink. It shrunk down far enough so that it could fall through the atmosphere….and plummeted into the mortal world's waters, waiting….for its unknowing prey.

Aboard the red-sailed ship which was called the Dark Magician, the crew was listening attentively to orders from their captain. The captain, Yami, was a handsome young man around twenty-one years of age with a slim, toned body, pale skin, black-rimmed eyes the color of blood, and spiked hair of red, black, and blonde. Dressed in a black tank top and dark pants, he carried himself with an unwavering confidence, a sense of deep bravery…and a deep passion for wit, mischief, and adventure. He enjoyed nothing more than playing games with his life…with his freedom. It gave him a thrill like no other.

Currently, the captain and his crew were preparing to raid the ship they'd been tailing for quite some time now. They all stood at attention, staring at Yami and his pet Kuriboh, a little brown, big-eyed ball of fuzz.

"Gentlemen," Yami began in his deep, alluring voice. "This is what we've been waiting for. The world's most valuable object is on its way to Syracuse, that stuck-up city in Greece….it's a shame that it will never get there…" he gave a roguish grin and the entire crew burst out laughing.

Yami took a moment to look back fondly at the men who'd loyally followed him for so long. Joey, the blonde-haired man who was more monkey than human, always swinging from the ship's ropes and feeling just as content hanging upside down as he did on his feet; Tristan, Joey's brown-haired best friend who'd been just as loyal to Yami as the aforementioned blonde; Bakura, Yami's white-haired first mate who loved nothing more than to get into verbal sparring matches with his captain; Ryo, Bakura's younger brother, a sweet, caring kid who was the spitting image of his older sibling; and finally, the twins Marik and Melvin, two Egyptian men who Yami had almost automatically hired due to their heritage.

Yami was half-Grecian and half-Egyptian….but he preferred the Egyptian side of the two. This was one of the many reasons he and his father were at odds with each other. His father reprimanded that a man should not love one side of his heritage more than the other…his father….Yami shook the thought away. He couldn't think about that man right now. He had to stay focused—keep his head in the game if he wanted the raid to go successfully.

The spiky-haired captain clasped his hands together and announced, "After today, everyone, we retire to Fiji." Another cheer rang throughout the crowd as the men began pulling out swords and rushing to their respective posts.

_ "Good," _Yami thought. _"There fired up now…"_ He then turned toward the upper deck where the wheel was and shouted, "Bakura!"

"Aye, Captain," Bakura smirked, knowing exactly what his leader wanted. He spun the wheel hard and made their ship swing sharply into the other vessel.

With that done, Yami turned his attention to his well-trained pet.

"Kuriboh!"

The intelligent, little fuzz ball squeaked in recognition and threw his fluffy body at a lever on the ship's mast. From the side of the vessel, sprung gargantuan hooked blades designed to cling and hold a target ship in place while raids commenced.

Dark Magician slammed into the royal ship and the captain let out a cry of, "let's get rich!" before swinging on a rope onto the ship's deck. In midair, he whipped twin swords off of his belt, landing unceremoniously on a group of confused guards and beginning the battle. Kuriboh floated over to the ship as well, biting and jumping in the faces of various men while the rest of the crew leapt into action.

Ryo threw primitive explosives and Joey used ropes to snag several unsuspecting men while Tristan pulled an arsenal of blades from his belt that scared most of the men off by simply looking at them. Bakura snatched a beam off of the deck and began whacking his enemies in the head, glaring at one as he tried to slice his shaggy, long hair.

"Listen my friend," the white-haired man growled. "You can attack me, attack my mates, even raid the Dark Magician if you want to….but NOBODY messes with my hair!" he emphasized this point by knocking the guy out cold with his beam.

While all this went on, Yami was facing several enemies at one time. In spite of this, the guards simply could not catch the elusive thief as he slid across the deck between their legs, dodged every sword slash, and seemed to actually be enjoying it all. At one point, he used his sword to remove the helmet of one of the men, then head-butted him, laughing as the man fell to the ground and groaned.

Five more guards rushed him all at once….but Yami only grinned at the new challenge. Driving both swords into the ship's deck, he leaped up so that his body was parallel to the ground and vaulted around in a circle, kicking all the soldiers and successfully knocking them back. He landed beside Bakura, who was holding a rather shrimpy man in a headlock and smirking.

"Did you catch that last move?" the spiky-haired youth grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "I thought you overworked it…just a bit…" he then knocked out the poor, helpless guy, laughing while the captain began to protest.

"Aw, you…why do you always find it necessary to ruin a perfectly good moment of triumph? Overworked it…"

Suddenly, a soldier letting out a goofy battle cry came running up, sword drawn, towards the white-haired first mate.

Bakura whipped around, caught the blade between his fang-like teeth, and used the momentum to swing the attacker overboard.

"Oh, and I overworked it?" Yami glared at his companion who merely smirked and spat out the sword.

The attack had pretty much come to an end with the royal guards mostly unconscious and Yami's men unharmed. There was, however, one last battle going on….on the upper deck near the cabin door. Marik and Melvin were desperately trying to take down the last person standing….a twenty-year-old man with hair almost identical to Yami's and large, purple eyes.

Yami's blood eyes widened. "Yugi…"

"This just got interesting…" Bakura muttered, arching a snowy eyebrow. "How long has it been?"

The captain sighed and his eyes….grew strangely sad. "About a lifetime ago…" he replied softly and climbed up the wooded stairs toward the young man.

Yugi was holding his own very well against the twins, weaving, bobbing, and coming up with startling attacks. He had successfully knocked Marik to the ground and was dealing with Melvin when a voice called out, "You still fight like an old woman."

"Yami?" Yugi's eyes lit up…just in time for him to get trampled by both twins.

"Ouch..." the rogue winced and motioned to his men to help the poor kid up.

"Yami…" Yugi gasped, climbing to his feet and still looking stunned. "Big brother…what are you doing here?"

"I'm working," Yami replied and pulled out a small dagger, driving it into the cabin door and carving off the locking mechanism. "You?"

"What happened to you? Where have you been?"

The spiky-haired man sighed. "Look, little brother, I'd love to stay and catch up…" he opened the cabin door, "…but I've got things to do…places to go…stuff to STEAL."

Sighing, Yugi followed his brother, who was still clutching the custom-crafted dagger, into the cabin. It was a dark room, backed with only a few windows which were curtained in order to prevent people from looking inside. In the center of the chamber, however…there was ONE source of light

The Book of Peace. It was a mystical object, glowing with a blue beam of light which rested on an elegant pedestal on the far side of the room.

Yami whistled in admiration. "Oh…wow…"

Yugi's eyes narrowed and he went around to gaze upon his brother's face.

"Yami….we need to talk."

Still staring at the book, the thief murmured, "I've heard about it….read about….but never actually seen it…." He pushed passed the prince and went to gaze down at the mystical object. "The Book of Peace…"

It was a beautiful book, glowing and swirling with blue light, elegant symbols, and ancient writing. The very aura given off by it caused one to automatically feel…serene…tranquil….peaceful. Its job was not merely looking pretty, however….the book was the source of tranquility throughout the kingdom. Without it….everything would unravel into sheer, unbridled chaos.

Concerned by the gleam in the rogue's eyes, Yugi explained, "It's MY job to bring it to Syracuse."

"Really? That is unfortunate….now I feel bad, because….you're going to get fired."

"You can't be serious!" Yugi's eyes lit up with indignation. "You're seriously planning to rob me? You forsake your duties as the eldest prince, run away to become a thief, abandon me and Father—"

"Abandon Father?" Yami's ruby eyes flashed with anger. "How could I 'abandon Father'? He disowned me years ago because I defied one of his rules because I thought it was wrong under the circumstances. Look….I feel bad, I REALLY do, but…"

"But it's ME, Yami," the younger brother replied solemnly.

Yami sighed. "Yugi, you're my brother and I care for you….we used to have a special handshake, code words, and a secret hideout…It was a ton of fun…but we were KIDS."

"We're brothers! We were friends!" Yugi snapped. "You're not gonna steal this…not from me. What would you do with it anyway? The Book of Peace protects all of us in the twelve cities as well as those in Egypt."

"Exactly," the thief nodded. "So, just imagine how much all of us would PAY to get it back."

Yugi glared and stepped in front of the glowing book.

"Let me say it again. A long time ago, we were friends as well as brothers. If that EVER meant ANYTHING to you…prove it…NOW."

"That was a LONG time ago…" Yami sighed…and reached out to grab the book. To his surprise, Yugi reached out and grabbed his arm, shoving him backwards and drawing a silver-bladed sword.

Yami chuckled and drew his own sword. "Come on, don't get all heroic, Yugi…" he slashed with his sword but Yugi expertly dodged it. The brothers unleashed a flurry of skilled attacks….but they were equally matched and neither could get to the other.

Locking his sword with the opposing blade, Yugi growled, "If you want the book….you'll have to go through me."

Yami was about to give a reply….when the wall of the cabin was knocked inward, throwing both boys to the ground. A gigantic blue tentacle dragged along the deck back to the outside of the ship….and the brothers both looked at each other in stunned silence.

Karyushin….had found its target.

**Kind of a short intro, but it'll get better :). The revolutionshipping should start in a few chapters for anyone who's never seen the movie. Please review and please no flames :).**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	2. The Deal

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Here's chapter two and now to answer your comments :)!**

**LilyFlower: In case the other PM didn't go through, my answer is yes, I am thrilled that you want to translate Atem's Desert Rose into Vietnamese :). If you could put in there that BlackRoseDragonCK does not own Yugioh or the song Desert Rose by Sting, I would greatly appreciate it :). Thanks!**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks, it's one of my favorite Dreamworks movies too :). I actually did not know that there was an American spelling for Yami's dad, so thanks for telling me and I'm going to try to start using it because the latter is a PAIN to type out lol.**

**Sailorblaze:**

**Bakura: *Glaring at BlackRose***

**BlackRose: What's wrong, Fluffy?**

**Bakura: You threatened my hair. *pulls out scissors and waves them towards BlackRose's hair* Allow me to return the favor.**

**BlackRose: Eeek! Don't make me get Vivian! I guess now she'll be saying, "GET ME THE BOOK OF PEACE!"**

**Aqua girl 007: Thanks :)! Sorry about the non-Peachshipping thing, but I'll make sure that Yugi has a happy ending too :). The story is actually set in Greece, not Egypt, and in the movie, Sinbad wears pants. Also, Marik and Melvin are the twins, not Yami and Yugi. **

**Dany14-black8: Gracias! The Revolutionshipping will hopefully start in a few chapters :).**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Me too, it's one of my favorite animated movies XD. When Yami comes home, it will be a bittersweet thing where Aknamkonen is shocked to see him but loves him and Yami is still angry and hurt.**

**EVERYBODY: Just so everyone knows, I was informed of an alternate spelling of "Akhenamkhanen" and I'm going to start using it because the latter is a huge pain to type out XD.**

Hearts pounding, Yami and Yugi raced out of the ship's cabin….to find complete and utter chaos. Men were running every which way, screaming and shouting….as gigantic blue tentacle's pursued them. Karyushin's arms wrapped snake-like around the wooden mast and slammed onto the deck, nearly knocking everyone to the ground with the consequent vibrations.

"Dear gods…" Yugi gasped and Yami's crimson eyes widened.

The creature rose out of the ocean to reveal its grizzly head, a horrid eyeless face with fangs so large that the mouth couldn't shut. It continued to lay waste to the ship, unceremoniously tossing men overboard with the ease of a man flicking a fly from his face.

Kuriboh growled fiercely and clamped his furry mouth onto one of the tentacles. The creature dragged him through the air….but the fuzz ball only bit down harder and growled more fiercely.

"Go, Kuriboh…" Yami chuckled.

Finally, Karyushin succeeded in flinging the biter off its arm. Kuriboh soared through the air….and landed unceremoniously on top of Ryo on Dark Magician's deck, slamming the poor kid to the ground with a thud.

"Well…" the ruby-eyed rogue sheathed his blade and playfully punched his brother in the arm. "I can see that YOU'RE busy, so….stay in touch." He strode over to one of the ship's ropes with ridiculous calmness, intent on leaping over to his own ship.

"You can't be serious. You're leaving? Running away?" Yugi's eyes bugged.

Yami smirked. "Well, YES. You can come with me if you want."

The younger sibling scowled and stormed away with his blade unsheathed. Shrugging, the sea thief started to leap over to his own vessel….when a giant tentacle shoved Dark Magician away from the royal ship's side. Yami yelped and had to cling to the ropes to keep from falling into the sea while Bakura desperately tried to reposition Dark Magician.

"Yami!" the first mate shouted, narrowly dodging a piece of Dark Magician's mast that had been snapped by Karyushin.

"You—MY—MY SHIP!" Yami snarled and those blood eyes narrowed into slits. He glanced over to where his brother had run to see Yugi valiantly stabbing and slicing at tentacles while the guards continued to be thrown about like sacks of potatoes. One of the tentacles came out of nowhere and knocked Yugi roughly to the ground. The boy groaned and clutched at his arm in pain….his shoulders heaved with exhaustion.

THAT….was the final straw. No one messed with Yami's ship or his brother…and got away with it. He pulled a piece of primitive dynamite from his shirt and used it to light a nearby cannon.

"Heads up!"

Of course, the sea monster had no way of knowing that the ammunition the rogue had loaded the cannon with was actually a bomb….so it swallowed it whole.

Helping his brother to his feet, the spiky-haired youth grinned.

"Now….stand by for sushi."

Karyushin gave a low groan and shook its head as if trying to shake off an uncomfortable feeling. Then, it snarled…and unleashed a spray of disgusting green slime from its mouth, completely coating the royal brothers. It also spit up a man it had swallowed whole. The soldier, seemingly unharmed, blinked….then raised his sword and gave a battle cry, racing back towards the monster.

Yami and Yugi both stood speechless before the elder muttered, "Give that guy a raise…"

Karyushin was angry now. The bomb hadn't blown it up….it had merely upset its stomach. The monster began thrashing its tentacles around even more violently and Yugi grabbed his brother's arm.

"Come on, Yami, let's go!"

"Wait…" Yami didn't budge, a mischievous grin playing at his lips. "Stand your ground." He whistled at the creature to get its attention. "HEY! Over here! Lobster Boy!"

Karyushin snarled and tried to strike with its head….but the rogue easily dodged. He whipped out his sword and drove it down into one of the tendrils on the beast's head, staking it in place.

He then dragged his brother over to a mast, wrapping a rope around the pole and handing one end to Yugi. Grabbing the other end, Yami grinned at Yugi…who finally grinned back. They clasped each other's arms and began to shimmy up the pole. Along the way, Yami found a dagger stuck into the wood and used his foot to dislodge it, launching it up and catching it skillfully between his teeth.

When they reached the very top, Yugi inquired, "What's the plan?"

"How about, try not to get killed?" the thief shot back and cut one of the ropes supporting the pole that his brother was standing on. The beam hung at an angle and the younger prince barely had time to cling to a remaining rope before falling off.

"Here, you'll need this," the rogue called, tossing him the knife.

"Where are you going?"

"Fishing!"

Yami climbed to the top of another pole and with prodigious skill, lifted himself onto the rope that connected it to the next mast. He began to walk along the rope like an acrobatic artist, muttering "left, right, left, right, left," the whole precarious way. He had to jump to clear the few remaining feet, landing on another pole that was hanging at an angle symmetrical to the one Yugi was standing on.

Yugi's amethyst eyes squinted, trying to figure out his brother's plan. On the other pole, Yami grinned and whipped out his own knife, motioning downward….and the younger prince finally figured it out. Both poles had been snapped at the ends, creating a dangerous spear-like point. At the angle they were hanging…the points were aimed directly at Karyushin's head…and the only thing keeping them from coming down was a single support rope on either side.

Both boys readied their blades…and gave a simultaneous shout of "NOW!" They sliced through the support ropes clinging to a few stray ropes to keep themselves from falling….and watched in triumph as Karyushin was skewered by the sharp poles.

Yami laughed while Yugi whooped excitedly and they both let go of their ropes, falling down onto the monster's squishy body.

"You okay?" The sea thief grinned, staggering over the lumpy tentacles to his little brother.

"Yeah!" Yugi beamed and punched him in the arm. "Thanks for sticking around!"

"Just like old times… "

Yami placed an affectionate hand on his sibling's shoulder….then gasped in horror when he saw one of the monster's dying tentacles come swinging towards the prince's head.

"Look out!" Yami shoved Yugi out of the way….and the tentacle wrapped around him, dragging him off of the ship.

"YAMI!"

The creature's grip tightened around said thief's body, making him grunt in pain….right before it dragged him under the water.

Yugi ran to the side of the ship and tried to jump in after him….but he was stopped by his royal guard…and forced to watch his brother being dragged deeper and deeper beneath the murky ocean depths.

Yami squirmed and struggled in Karyushin's grasp…but it was futile. The creature was squeezing him so tightly that it felt like his ribs might snap at any moment. His lungs burned….but he could not, WOULD NOT accept death just yet….

The rogue continued to writhe…and gasped when a dark cloud materialized in the water before him. It was gigantic, bigger even than Karyushin….and it slowly swirled in an ebony fog….until out of it appeared the face of a darkly beauteous woman.

Yami yelped and immediately wished he hadn't, having wasted air he did not have. The woman, however, merely smiled sinisterly, pursed her ruby lips, and blew a gigantic air bubble that enveloped the youth's body.

He gasped….then coughed and gasped some more when he realized that he could breathe again. He was standing in a gigantic air bubble, still gazing around at the vast depths of the ocean…and down at Karyushin's ever sinking body. It almost made him dizzy, as if he could fall through at any moment.

"The day began with such promise…" a woman's voice began, making the rogue jump. "And now look….my sea monster is dead and I still don't have the Book of Peace…"

The source of the voice finally appeared. It was the same, wispy-formed woman with long black hair and chocolate eyes, dressed in a deep purple, sleeveless dress that seemed as fluid as her body. She was beautiful….but radiated with a dark essence that made Yami shudder.

She appeared as a giant in front of him, casually resting her head on her hands. "And all of this…is because of YOU Yami…"

Her voice didn't sound angry….rather… admiring…seductive.

"Uh…" Yami brushed at a wispy lock of raven hair as It floated up to his face. "And….you are…?"

"Eris…the Goddess of Discord….but YOU can call me Vivian. I've no doubt you've seen my likeness on the temple walls?" Vivian loomed back, her fingers stretching out as demonic wings and eyes glowing deadly crimson.

"Yes…" the rogue gulped nervously. "They…don't do you justice."

"Uh-huh…now, about my sea monster…"

The red-eyed youth chuckled nervously as she jabbed at his chest with a giant finger. "Right, well….I'm sorry…about that…I don't suppose a heartfelt apology would do…"

"Heartfelt? From YOU?" Vivian cackled, sending a shiver down his spine. "Yami….you don't HAVE a heart."

Her body vanished again and rematerialized so that she was the size of a mortal woman. "That's what I like about you…so, I'm going to let you live."

Vivian sauntered up to him, swaying her hips seductively and reaching up to stroke Yami's face. He tried not to cringe….her fingers were icy cold.

"There's just one little thing you have to do…" the woman whispered, batting those thick eyelashes. "Get the Book of Peace….and bring it to me."

The thief scratched his chin. "Right, well….that's a problem for me because I had my OWN plans for it…..you know, ransom…get rich…" He started to walk away and yelped when the woman appeared out of nowhere in his path.

"You're not thinking big enough, Yami…." Vivian disappeared and reappeared at his shoulder, clutching his custom knife in her cold hands. He gasped and patted his pocket, wondering how she'd taken it….but then again, she WAS a goddess….

Vivian continued, "Steal the Book for ransom and you'll be rich enough to lounge on an island beach. Steal the Book for ME….and you can BUY the beach…and the island….and the WORLD…" She leaned in uncomfortably close to his face.

Yami thought for a moment. "Hmmm….you let me live…you make me rich…. I retire to paradise….so far, I don't see a downside…IF you keep your word."

Vivian giggled evilly and made a cross over her heart with the knife. "When a goddess gives her word….she is bound for all eternity."

"All right….you're on."

"I KNEW you'd see it my way…" the goddess stretched out her hand and weaved an image into the air. It illustrated the sun-kissed ocean with a bright star prominent in the sky.

"So, when you've stolen the Book, follow that star beyond the horizon. You'll find yourself in Tartarus, my Realm of Chaos."

"All right…I'll see you there."

Vivian materialized gazing directly into his ruby eyes….and holding the dagger at his throat. "It's a DATE then…." She balanced the blade impossibly on her fingers.

Yami reached out and tried to grab the knife….but a vanished before he could do so.

Vivian giggled and tapped her chin. "Now where were we…? Oh yes….you were holding your breath…."

Yami barely had time to gulp in air before the woman vanished and he was once again engulfed in the ocean's watery grasp. He groaned and began to kick, headed for the shimmering surface.

Floating in the darkest shadows of the water, Vivian gave a slow…cruel smile as the constellation form of Karyushin swam up to greet her.

"He's so cute…and SO gullible….well done, Karyushin."

The spiky-haired captain broke the surface and gasped for air, only to nearly choke again when a hand snagged his collar and hauled him out of the ocean. Coughing, Yami landed on the Dark Magician's hard but welcome deck, and grinned weakly as his crew began to cheer.

"Yami, you're alive!" Bakura grinned with approval.

Yami chuckled as Kuriboh snuggled against his chest and Melvin happily clapped him on the shoulder.

"Glad you made it!" The Egyptian grinned, then turned back to his twin. "He's alive, now pay up."

Grudgingly, Marik slammed a few gold coins into his chortling brother's palm.

The first mate cocked a snowy eyebrow. "So, what exactly happened down there?"

The rogue was still coughing and choking for breath as he replied, "You…wouldn't….believe me….if I….told you…."

"Try me."

Yami looked up at the white-haired pirate with a cocked brow, then sighed.

"All right….here goes. So I meet Eris or I guess 'Vivian', Goddess of Chaos….she has a major crush on me and she invited me over to her place."

Bakura stared at him for a moment….then burst into maniacal laugher. "That's a good one! Haha! Goddess of Chaos…oh I've GOT to write that one down…"

Yami threw his hands up in exasperation and nearly jumped out of his skin when Joey appeared hanging upside down behind him.

"Oh….you have GOT to stop doing that…"

"So dat's it then?" The blonde asked in his queer accent, ignoring Yami's last comment. "No Book…Now whadda we do?"

"A little patience, Joey….after all, it's not like we don't know where it's going." The thief grinned and waved at his brother on the royal ship.

Yugi grinned back….and saluted, a relieved smile on his gentle face. He then turned back to his soldiers and shouted, "Men, all sails to Syracuse!"

With that, the Book-bearing ship took off….not knowing that Dark Magician was following close behind, bound for the same location….and the Book of Peace.

**I hope you liked and please review :)! As a pointless afterthought, I keep almost typing "Tarter Sauce" instead of "Tartarus" lol. Also, Vivian's just started flirting with Yami and I'm already ready to slap the living daylights out of her XD.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	3. Framed

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Chapter three is here :)!**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Aww….I swear I'll get the spelling right one of these days LOL XD. By the way, you may slap Vivian as many times as you wish :).**

**Sailorblaze:**

**Vivian: *holding Bakura in a headlock* GET ME THE BOOK OF PEACE!**

**Bakura: *Gagging* Let…go….of…me…you…bloody…!**

**Marik: Fluffy! What in Ra's name are you doing here? I need you back at Target!**

**Bakura: *Still gagging* I'm…a bit…preoccupied…in case you…haven't noticed…!**

**Aqua Girl 007: Haha, I love the "Give that guy a raise" line too XD. Next will be the awkward father/son reunion *cue the dramatic music* lol. That's a good question about Mana….I do want to include her at some point 'cuz she's awesome, but I'm not sure when….**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Haha, yep, the homecoming's gonna be interesting XD.**

**Yami: Couldn't I just Mind Crush my father?**

**BlackRose: You can't solve all your problems by Mind Crushing people.**

**Yami: Oh, c'mon…one little Mind Crush, it'll barely hurt him.**

**BlackRose: No! Bad Pharaoh! No Mind Crush!**

**Yami: You never let me have my way, do you?**

**Lioutenant Flame: Thanks! Haha, all for slapping Vivian lol! I was thinking the exact same thing about Bakura as Sinbad XD.**

**Seabreeze27: Thanks :)!**

The blue and white sailed ship glided smoothly into Syracuse's port….into its home. The City of Syracuse was a beauteous place, with lush green trees, silvery-looking buildings of stone, and high towers overlooking the vast, cerulean ocean.

Its port was bustling with people, all cheering and shouting in triumph that the Book of Peace had finally reached its final resting place. Several proud-looking guards very carefully carried the Book and pedestal through the excited throngs of people….and placed it in the high tower, where its comforting light could be beheld by all.

On the palace balcony, esteemed guests, diplomats, and other political and royal figures all stood with silver goblets, grinning contentedly over their latest accomplishment. On the plush, elegantly decorated outer area, they had a stunning view of the city as well as the vast ocean and Book of Peace Tower….and everyone couldn't have been more pleased. The ruler, King Aknamkanon, an older man with dark Egyptian skin, salt and pepper hair, and red eyes identical to Yami's, was perhaps the most thrilled of them all.

Raising his cup, he announced, "For as long as I can remember…I've dreamed of this moment….the sacred treasure that's protected us for a thousand years is now in Syracuse."

"A toast!" exclaimed on of the guests. "To King Aknamkanon!"

The king smiled and waved a humbling hand.

"To the Book of Peace!"

Another diplomat grinned, clanking his glass against Yugi's.

"And to you, King Aknamkanon and Prince Yugi."

"MAKE WAY!"

The sudden shout made everyone gasp and whip around to gaze upon the inner chamber of the palace. It was a grand, elegant room filled with the rest of the dinner guests as well as a long table of decadent food….and several scrambling guards. They were all rushing….to stop Yami and his crew from entering.

Yami's arched and eyebrow with exasperation and muttered,

"You see? This is what happens when you use the front entrance."

"Mmm-hmmm…" Bakura grudgingly agreed."

The two royals entered the chamber….and the father froze.

"What….what is he doing here?"

Yugi smiled, took the king's arm, and forcefully led him over….to meet his long-lost son.

The rogue grunted as Marik and Melvin shoved him forward….and found himself in a rather awkward reunion with his father.

"H-hello…my son," Aknamkanon croaked.

Yami looked equally uncomfortable as he replied, "And…to you…Father."

Both family members stood there, motionless and silent. There was no hug, no tearful reconciliation…..nothing but discomfort.

Looking the youth up and down, Aknamkanon muttered, "Well….YOU look exactly the same….older…and a little WISER I hope?"

Yami's blood eyes narrowed and his jaw visibly clenched.

"Older at least…I don't know about wiser. I would have hoped…after all this time that you would've MISSED me 'Dad'."

"I….I did, child…" the king murmured, a deep sadness shadowing the crimson eyes that mirrored those of his troubled son's. "More than you know…"

The young thief didn't meet his gaze. It was obvious that he didn't believe him….and it was also apparent that Yugi needed to step in to relieve the awkwardness.

Yugi clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder and teasingly exclaimed, "I don't see you for ten years, and now, twice in one day? You're smothering me."

Yami laughed and grabbed the younger boy's hand in a rough but brotherly shake.

"I knew you would want to thank me for saving your life…AGAIN."

"You probably just heard we had free food and wine!" the prince slung an arm around Yami's shoulders and began leading him away.

"You hear that, guys?" the thief grinned impishly at his men. "Dinner and drinks are on my little brother!"

Yugi rolled his eyes, but smiled good-naturedly. Then, in a low voice, he murmured, "Come on…there's someone I want you to meet."

Yami nodded….but cast a quick glance at his men and mouthed the words, "Get to work" before following.

Before the crew could do so, several glaring guards blocked their way.

"Weapons stay here."

Bakura rolled his eyes…then whipped out two twin swords and growled at the soldiers. The men yelped as the white-haired man laughed and dutifully placed his rapiers on the weapons tray. Joey followed, slamming two hooked daggers down on the platform and Tristan followed suit pulling out a few grenades, daggers, a crossbow, a grappling hook….the list went on and on and the guards could only stare in shock as he continued to pull deadly devices out of various pockets in his clothing.

Meanwhile, Yugi had finally found who he was looking for in the richly-dressed crowd.

"There she is…I've told her all about you."

Yami was barely paying attention, grabbing a silver wine goblet from some over-fancy aristocrat and gulping down its contents as his brother retrieved someone from the crowd.

"Yami…I would like to introduce you to my fiancée, the Lady Tea, Ambassador from Thrace."

When Yami finally lowered his glass to get a better look….he nearly dropped it onto the floor. Standing there…was a young woman around twenty years old, with chocolate hair tied elegantly into a bun, ivory skin, and the brightest sapphire eyes he'd ever seen. She was wearing an elegant cerulean dress that greatly accentuated her irises and a silver braded band around her head which was decorated with a blue gemstone suspended against her forehead. She also bore a smile and sparkle in her gaze that belied a sense of deep intelligence and wit as well as beauty.

The rogue said nothing, only staring with a wide-eyed look on his face at the stunning creature before him.

She gave him a curious smile and looked him over.

"So THIS is the infamous Yami I heard all about this morning. First you tried to rob Yugi and then you save his life…" her eyes twinkled with slyness. "So which are you…a thief…or a hero?"

The spiky-haired youth couldn't answer, for his mouth was bone dry. His hands began to shake….and all he could think was _"It's her…I…I can't be here…"_

The younger prince took no notice of his brother's current shock, turning to the young woman and saying, "Yami wanted to give me the opportunity to thank—"

Yugi gasped when he saw his sibling was no longer standing in front of them, seemingly having disappeared into thin air.

"Him…."

Over at the food table, Kuriboh was throwing his furry body into every delicious dish in sight like a ravenous dust bunny. Watching the little creature's antics, Joey muttered, "Eight months on da sea with nothin' to eat but pickles 'n eggs….you don't know what dat can do to a man…" he yelped when the captain suddenly approached. "Oh!...It's almost too easy. Dere's only a handful of guards."

"Forget it," Yami's face was a mask of anger…and what looked like sadness. "Let's get back to the ship…"

"Just like that?" The first mate raised his eyebrows with perplexity. "But the Book is almost ours!"

Yami's only reply was to flick his pained blood eyes in the direction from which he'd come. Both men followed his gaze…and Bakura gasped when he saw Tea standing with Yugi, a confused expression on her delicate face.

"Oh…"

"What?" Joey blinked. "Who is she? An old girlfriend?"

Bakura sighed and shook his head, a look of genuine sympathy for their captain on his face.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Let's go."

The blonde shrugged, gathered as much fruit, bread, and meat as he could carry, and followed the rest of the crew back towards the entrance. They passed the weapons table…where poor Tristan had just finished unloading weapon after lethal weapon.

"Tristan, pack it up," Bakura ordered.

The brunette man protested. "What? I-I….I just put the…Oh, fine…" he gathered up all his junk and unhappily trudged after the others.

Unfortunately, as the sea thieves headed back to Dark Magician….they had no way of knowing that Vivian's fluid form hovered on the roof of the Book of Peace's tower, waiting….and grinning when the right moment finally arrived.

"Oh, this is just too easy…" she giggled wickedly and warped inside the tower walls.

Back at the palace, Yugi walked with Tea on his arm while the girl tried to reassure him over his brother's sudden departure.

"Look at it this way…" she said, "…now that Yami's gone your father can finally relax and enjoy the evening."

Yugi chuckled good-naturedly and halted at the balcony railing overlooking the ocean.

"Well, you're right about that…He's trying not to show it, but he's SO proud to have the Book here at Syracuse. He's been planning this day his whole life…"

"And soon….it will be your responsibility."

"OUR responsibility."

Tea smiled sweetly and dipped her head. The two were silent for a moment, staring out at the stunning view of Syracuse and the sparkling indigo waters.

"Oh….it's beautiful…" the girl breathed.

"It is," Yugi nodded towards the Book of Peace Tower. "My father spent years preparing it for the Book. There are guards on every level, and if you look up at the…"

The blue-eyed beauty placed a hand on his arm to silence him and gave him a teasing smile.

"Oh…" the prince grinned, rubbing his hair with embarrassment. "You were talking about the ocean, weren't you?"

Tea sighed and folded her hands behind her back.

"I only wish I'd seen more of it….I used to imagine sailing far beyond the Twelve Cities…discovering the world, hehe…" she added the last as if it were a silly childhood dream…one she desperately wished had come true. "Oh, look at it, Yugi….there's so much wonder…"

"Tea…" Yugi reached out and gently took her hands in his. He motioned for her to sit down on one of the cushioned marble benches while he dropped to one knee. "Our marriage….was arranged many years ago. I know that…we each regard each other only as dear friends….but it's always been expected of us. Politics, you know….it seems to control areas of life that it really should have nothing whatsoever to do with. But you…you deserve a proper husband…and a proper proposal. So I'm asking you for myself…..will you marry me…?'

The girl smiled down at him, a deep sorrow in her eyes that was reflected in his as well. He was right…they truly only wanted to be friends….and her sisterly love for him only grew from the fact that he wanted her to be happy…even though they both knew that they would never be a truly romantic husband and wife.

Taking a deep breath, Tea began, "Yugi, I—"

"There you are!" Aknamkanon came smiling out onto the balcony, interrupting the moment much to Tea's relief. "I think the delegates from Manoli are trying to give a toast….Although I'm not sure…they're doing something with their knees."

Both youths laughed and the frazzled king gently took the brunette's hand in his.

"Tea, I need an ambassador."

"Of course, Sire," She smiled and gave Yugi a quick look before following the king back into the ballroom.

Vivian grinned cruelly as she watched the lone soldier wandering in an aimless circle around the brightly-glowing Book of Peace. He was calm, sleepy….unsuspecting….and it wouldn't hurt to play with him a bit.

The goddess moved her shadow along the wall until she reached one of the wall torches….and put it out with her frigid fingers.

"Huh?" the guard whipped around at the sizzling sound….but saw nothing. Shrugging, he wandered up to the Book of Peace on its pedestal and began to study its azure pages.

With the man distracted, Vivian appeared out of another wall….and put out two more lights.

The soldier drew his sword, knowing something was definitely wrong now.

"Who's there?"

Vivian's fang-like teeth showed in a grin as she lowered herself to the marble floor, hiding behind a large pillar. She dug her sharp-nailed fingers into the very shadows…..and out of it came an empty shell that was the splitting image of Yami. She eased her slender form into it as if it were a new dress, drew the dagger she'd previously stolen from him…and finally stepped out of the darkness.

"Yami…" the guard glared and rushed forward with his own sword.

Vivian made the Yami clone's face grin and blocked the attempted blade slash. She bore down on the man with a strength that could only be described as superhuman….and when he stared at her with a look of shock, she punched him out.

"Oh, I just LOVE playing pretend!" the evil woman giggled as Yami's image faded away. She dangled the knife in the air….and dropped it right next to the unconscious man's head. If they didn't suspect Yami from an eyewitness account….they certainly would now.

Vivian stepped up to the pedestal…and lifted the Book of Peace into the air over her head.

"All of the pieces are coming together!" she cackled….and slammed the Book shut.

It was at that precise moment….that all hell broke loose.

An ominous shadow spread over the land and the entire palace began to shake. Cracks appeared on the roof of every building and thunder crackled deafeningly….as the chaos took over.

"Yugi!" Tea clung to his arm to avoid getting separated in the screaming stampede of panicked people. "The Book!"

His only response was to grab her more protectively….and gaze in horror at the oppressive shadow spreading over the once peaceful land.

A few hours later, Yami, with his hands bound by iron shackles, was thrown roughly into a dank, cold cell. He leaped to his feet off the floor and narrowed his eyes at the guards….before a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Yami…" Yugi stepped out of the shadows, his eyes….dark with a look of utmost betrayal.

"Yugi!" the rogue breathed a sigh of relief and annoyance. "It's about time!"

"Do you realize how serious this is?"

Yami rolled his eyes. "Do you realize how many times I've heard that today?"

"You've betrayed Syracuse!" the younger prince snarled in a completely uncharacteristic rage.

"Oh….NOT you too…"

"Stealing the Book of Peace when you KNEW how much it meant to us!"

Yami's voice was beginning to grow low with anger as he replied, "Yugi….here is the way this works…I actually COMMIT a crime… and THEN YOU GET TO BLAME ME FOR IT!"

"Then how do you explain this?" Yugi reached into his tunic….and pulled out Yami's custom dagger.

The thief's eyes widened with shock. He truly had nothing to do with the theft…so how…?

"Vivian!"

"What?"

"She framed me!" the young man's ruby eyes narrowed with fury.

Yugi sighed and kneaded his forehead. "Oh, would you listen to yourself?"

"Yugi, please," Yami's tone softened. "Trust me, the Book is in Tararus. Talk to Father, tell him I—"

"This is beyond Father, Yami!" his brother snapped. "The ambassadors are convening right now for your trial!"

"Wait—what…TRIAL!" Yami's voice raised with indignation. "I DID NOT DO IT! I left the Book on your ship and that's the last I saw of it! YOU WERE THERE! You know the truth….you know ME."

Yugi's amethyst eyes flashed with pain and anger as he shot back, "Do I? I knew a kid…who are you NOW Yami?"

The spiky-haired captain sighed. The anger had completely died in his heart….and he found that he actually missed it. Now, all that remained was sadness…mistrust….betrayal….memories….

The purple-eyed prince studied his sibling for a moment, silently contemplating his next words. Finally, he took a deep breath and murmured,

"Look me in the eye…and tell me. Did you steal the Book?"

Yami stared right back at him, those striking pools of blood locked with round orbs of violet. He didn't steal the Book….but if Yugi did not believe him….no one would.

"NO," Yami said firmly.

Neither his voice…..nor his gaze…wavered. The only question that remained…was whether or not Yugi could find it in his heart…to trust him.

**I hope you liked and please review :)! I made Yugi non-romantic towards Tea because I didn't want him to be sad at the end like Proteus was. **

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	4. Tartarus or Fiji?

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Here's chapter four :)!**

**Sailorblaze:**

**Bakura: *sitting on the floor rocking back and forth and mumbling about his hair***

**BlackRose: *Patting his shoulder* Don't worry, Fluffy, your hair will be fine…**

**Bakura: You'd better be right, or I'll send YOU to unleash chaos in Target with Marik.**

**BlackRose: OKAY! I'll be good! By the way, YAY FOR MIND CRUSHED VIVIAN XD!**

**Aqua girl 007: I feel sorry for him too XD.**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks! It was awkward lol. Haha, I agree with getting riled up about Vivian XD.**

**MutantEnemy6789: Glad you're back :)! I agree, Yami makes a good bad guy (maybe that's why season 0 Yami is so sexy XD). I love making Vivian the villainess (partially because I don't mind making her have a terrible fate at the end and partially because I don't like her LOL).**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Thanks :)! Maybe you could set the Winged Dragon of Ra on Vivian (a god can maybe kill a goddess LOL…?).**

**Seabreeze: Thanks :)! Don't worry, Yugi's not in love with Tea. He just thought that she deserved to be properly proposed to even though they don't feel romantic towards each other :).**

Shackled and held by two guards, Yami stood in the middle of the meeting room, ruby eyes narrowed at the familiar surroundings of his former home. It was a large room with marble floors and elegantly painted walls, a few leading off into hallways held up by gold painted pillars. A large mural was painted on one of the walls, intricately portraying one of the many Grecian legends. On any other day, the chamber would appear as quite beautiful….but now it was dark, lit only by a few ominous flames and a band of pallid moon light from the ceiling window. Aside from the glowering ambassadors sitting at a long table beneath the mural, there were many other people in the background, their faces, shadowed. Everyone was cryptically silent….except for Aknamkanon.

The old king looked stricken. He was obviously horrified that any citizen of Syracuse, let alone his own son, would commit such a heinous crime….even though Yami was innocent.

"I've heard enough of your lies to last a lifetime!" he snarled, eyes narrowed and filled with a deep pain. "Yami…. For the LAST TIME….give me the Book!"

Aknamkanon stepped forward and glared into his boy's handsome face. Yami's blood eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched tightly. When he spoke, his voice was frighteningly low and gravelly, the way it always got when he was really angry.

"How many times to I have to say it? I….DON'T….HAVE IT!"

The king's body tensed and Yami turned his head away in anticipation of the blow….but it never came. The man merely sighed heavily and trudged back to the table of ambassadors, running his coffee-colored fingers through his graying hair.

"Very well then," murmured one of the ambassadors. He was a man a few years younger than Aknamkanon whom the rogue recognized as a man named Akhnaden. He stood up, as did the rest of the political figures. "The Delegation of the Twelve Cities finds you guilty of treason and we sentence you to die. Take him away."

Aknamkanon's breath hitched and he tried to speak out….but his son beat him to it.

"Are you SERIOUS?" Yami snarled, viciously fighting against the guards as they tried to drag him off. "Are you…ARE YOU PEOPLE BLIND? I DIDN'T DO IT!"

"STOP!"

A collective gasp sounded throughout the chamber….and Yugi strode into the room. His youthful violet eyes were narrowed with solemnity, and his jaw was set in a determined line that Yami hadn't often seen from him.

"I demand the right of substitution!" the younger prince proclaimed. "Take ME in his place."

"NO!" Aknamkanon looked as if he were about to have a heart attack…and from behind the ambassador's table, Tea gave a gasp of horror.

Unfazed, Yugi continued, "Yami says that Vivian took the Book…and I believe him. Let him go to Tartarus and recover the Book."

"What?" the thief finally broke free of his captors and ran up to look at his younger sibling, his face in an obvious expression of outrage. "Are you out of your mind?'

"You claim that Vivian stole the Book…" Yugi gave him a sideways grin. "Steal it back. You're good at that."

"Yugi…" the rogue sighed and tried to knead his forehead but couldn't due to his shackled hands. "I cannot be responsible for your life!"

"You would do the same for me."

"How could you POSSIBLY be sure of that? How could ANYONE imagine themselves in this position, huh?"

"You cannot do this!" There was an edge of panic creeping into Aknamkanon's voice as he approached both of his boys. "Son, listen to reason—"

"No, Father, YOU listen," the purple-eyed boy's voice was hard with authority. "Either Yami stole the Book…or he's telling the truth and it's in Tartarus. Either way, he's our only hope of getting it back."

Tea tugged at Akhanaden's sleeve and whispered, "You can't let him do this, you just—"

He waved a hand to silence her and turned his stony face towards the prince.

"Yugi…..you do understand that if Yami does not return…that YOU will be put to death in his place?"

"I….I understand."

All of the ambassadors sighed noticeably…..but the boy had made up his mind.

"Very well…Yami has ten days…to return the Book."

The king looked as if he had aged one hundred years in fifteen minutes. With a voice that was a mere ghost of its formal self, he murmured, "Transfer the shackles…"

The soldiers obeyed, grudgingly taking the iron cuffs off of Yami's wrists and clamping them onto Yugi's as gently as possible. Both boys' gazes met….Yugi's of unwavering trust…Yami's of complete and utter shock.

The guards began leading Yugi away, but allowed him to stop long enough to share a sad look with Tea. The girl's eyes were pleading no, that she couldn't bear to lose the young man who'd been as a brother to her for so many years….but all he could do was give her a sad smile and turn back to face his own brother.

"Oh and Yami…..don't be late."

With that, the soldiers set off….and Yugi turned his face away so that no one could see the fear in his amethyst eyes.

The spiky-haired rogue was so stunned that he barely even noticed when his father walked directly up to him. The man grabbed his shoulders and gave him a rough shake that made the youth catch his breath in surprise.

"Listen to me now…." Aknamkanon whispered. His eyes were angry….but they still held that deep, inescapable pain. "I love you, son…I've always loved you. But I will not stand by and watch you let your little brother pay for YOUR mistakes. If you leave here and do not return, letting Yugi die as a result….you will be dead to me as well."

Yami's eyes, those hypnotic pools of blood….were strangely emotionless. Perhaps from shock….or perhaps he truly could feel nothing in the face of his furious father.

"So you believe I did it too?" He murmured in a low, even voice. "I'm not surprised. And as for your last statement….I'm already dead to you, YOUR HIGHNESS."

Aknamkanon's face twisted into an expression that was halfway between a scowl and a wince. He roughly let go of his boy and stormed back to the Delegation, muttering,

"Ten days….that's all you have…before your little brother DIES."

X

About an hour later, it was dawn and the Dark Magician was already sailing over the frothing, cerulean ocean. The sky was a dusky gray streaked with pink as the sun had not fully risen yet. Only a few rays of light peaked out over the horizon, so Joey swung around the ship on one of his many ropes, lighting lantern after lantern to illuminate the shadowed deck.

Raising his own light to be ignited by the swinging Joey, Bakura cast a sideways glance at the captain. Yami had been in a foul, silent mood ever since he'd come back from his trial, and was now standing at the staircase leading down to the lower deck, staring fixatedly at a certain star on the horizon.

Bakura casually approached him, setting the lamp down at the map table, and inquiring, "So…have you any idea about how we actually get to Tartarus?"

"We're not going to Tartarus…." The rogue muttered, his voice taking on that low gruff tone that let people know he was displeased. "We're retiring to Fiji."

"Fiji?" the first mate raised his brows. "At this time of year?"

"Yes…" Yami turned around and leaned his muscled back against the railing, trying to look at ease. "Think of the beaches."

"Oh, sure, if you like mosquitoes," the white-haired man rolled his chocolate eyes.

"The sun then."

"It's monsoon season."

Yami tapped his chin thoughtfully, then grinned.

"Think of the WOMEN."

"They're cannibals, Yami!"

"Exactly."

Bakura groaned and threw his shaggy head back in exasperation.

"He's your brother!"

"Listen to you, you sound like my father. Yugi will be fine," the rogue replied dismissively….though the shadows in his eyes did not reflect his words.

"You're sure of that?"

"Father is not going to let his favorite son, or I suppose I should say his ONLY son, get executed."

"So we're running away?"

The captain's eyes narrowed. "Retiring! We don't NEED another score. We've got enough. Now set a course for Fiji."

Bakura sighed heavily, but dutifully obeyed while the captain announced,

"Gentlemen, we're going to Fiji!"

The entire crew cheered while Kuriboh squeaked enthusiastically. Satisfied, Yami headed down into his cabin, the whole time, mumbling about Bakura and the Book and his brother. He eased open the wooden door to his room…..and drew a silent breath when he saw that the room….was not uninhabited.

Dressed in a skin-tight blue shirt and black slacks of some sort, both of which greatly accentuated her curvaceous form, Tea wandered around the cabin. She stared in awe at all of the looted treasure, brushing a chocolate strand of her now free-hanging hair out of her face and murmuring to herself.

"Look at all this…I can't believe it…."

The rogue cringed and quickly hid behind the door, listening to her every word. Crouching in front of an impossibly shaped creature's skeleton, she muttered,

"Oh, but this CAN'T be real…it would be much to delicate—" she touched the creature's bony finger….and the tip of it came off. "Uh oh…"

Yami winced and listened to her footsteps as she went to the other side of the room.

"Now THIS is more like it…" 

Knowing that her back would be turned to him, Yami soundlessly sneaked out from the cover of the door and tip-toed into the cabin. Tea had full right to be in awe. It was a beauteous chamber, filled with ornately colored rugs, countless trinkets of incredible value, and objects that were just plain out of the ordinary. Tea was now hunched over a table, examining several jewel pendants in her delicate fingers.

"Stolen from Venezia…from Pompeii…." She picked up a bright blue top that was more of a bra than a shirt. "And from a brothel in Syracuse…."

Leaning forward so that his mouth was directly beside her ear, Yami whispered,

"Good guess."

The girl gasped and whipped around to meet those accusatory orbs of crimson.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

Tea's eyes were fierce as she replied, "I'm here to make sure you get the Book of Peace. Or, bring back your dead body if you fail."

"Really?" the rogue cocked an ebony eyebrow, leaning casually against a map-covered table. "And how are you going to pull that off?"

"By whatever means necessary," the brunette growled, and Yami couldn't help but find it cute the way her shoulders tensed and her eyes sparkled when she tried to act tough.

"Did you bring a crew?"

"No."

The thief smirked. "Do you know how to get to Tartarus?"

"N-no…"

"Can you navigate on your own?"

Tea's eyes lit up triumphantly. "Yes!"

"Well, good!" Yami threw his hands up in the air and walked over to the pile of blanketed cushions that served as his bed. "Then I'll dump your butt in a rowboat and you can paddle all the way back to Syracuse! "Cuz WE'RE going to Fiji" He flopped down onto the bed, placing an arm over his eyes to block out the sun.

Leaning against a wooden support beam, Tea cocked a sly brow.

"Fiji?"

"That's right."

The girl leaned her hip against the beam, a smirk playing on her pink lips as she muttered, "Just as I thought…"

That got Yami's attention. He lifted his arm from his face, confused ruby orbs locked with sardonically sparkling gems of sapphire.

"What?"

"Yami, you're not a very complicated guy," Tea splayed her hands on the mattress and leaned over so that she could gaze into his face. "All someone has to do is imagine the most gutless course of action…and you're BOUND to take it."

"This is not my problem!" the captain pointed a warning finger at her. "I did not steal the Book." He laid his head back down and sighed.

Tea sat down on the bed, studying everything on his face from the irises of flawless crimson to the deadly spiked hair. In spite of his intimidating and darkly handsome features….she was not the slightest bit afraid of him.

"You're really not going to lose any sleep over this, are you?"

"Not a wink," the youth growled and turned over to try to escape her unwavering gaze.

Shrugging, Tea continued, "Because me, I'd be tossing and turning…." She leaned over and he involuntarily shivered at her hot breath against his ear. "…knowing that I'M alive….because I let my brother die!" She stood up and stormed away, shoulders rigid with anger.

Yami groaned in outrage and finally leaped to his feet.

"I'm not responsible for this mess! And I didn't ask Yugi to put his neck on the line for me!"

Tea whipped around, her eyes gleaming with a sarcastic sparkle.

"Look," she began, "Clearly I can't appeal to you 'honor'….but I have OTHER ways of convincing you."

Not knowing exactly what she meant, Yami's eyes briefly wandered to her…chest area before quickly looking back to her face. His voice came out strained with a slight echo of eager anticipation to it.

"Really? And…h-how do you plan to…do that exactly…?"

"By speaking your language…" she arched her prettily shaped eyebrows slyly and Yami had actually started to close his eyes and lean in….when she held up a large, glittering diamond.

He blinked. Then, feeling embarrassed for his misinterpretation, the rogue snatched the jewel out of her grasp and muttered, "Keep talking."

She smirked, grabbed his hand, and emptied an entire pouch full of gems onto his outstretched palm. The girl then stood back and crossed her arms, a triumphant grin playing on her lips.

The youth examined the sparkling stones for a moment before clenching them in his fist, and smiling slightly. "Yes, this will do…." He had an impish gleam in his eye as he added, "but…NOT for first class."

Tea looked at him with mistrust and obvious confusion. Tucking the jewels into his pocket, Yami suddenly lunged forward, grabbed her middle, and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her up the stairs and out of his cabin. The girl shrieked and pounded on his back, though her delicate fists inflicted very little pain. The rogue almost laughed, quite enjoying both her enraged threats and the bewildered looks on the crew members' faces.

Shifting the kicking Tea slightly on his shoulder to get a better grip, Yami announced, "As you can see, we're WELL equipped to accommodate the most DISCERNING of royal tastes. We have excellent ocean views…" the girl yelped as he grabbed her thigh to stop her from kicking. "….luxurious living quarters…" he threw open the door to the food storage cabin and threw her unceremoniously onto the ground. "…with three gourmet meals a day: pickles…eggs…and pickles!"

Kuriboh bounced into the room and rubbed affectionately against his master.

"Oh, hey, Kuriboh, there you are…" Yami grinned at the confused-looking brunette. "Allow me to introduce you to your new bunkmate, Kuriboh. Well, actually, you're HIS new bunkmate because it's his bunk."

Kuriboh floated over to Tea and began licking her face, nearly making her sneeze from all the fuzz on his face.

The rogue's teasing grin widened. "We DO hope you enjoy your stay aboard the Dark Magician…oh and if Kuriboh starts hugging you leg….that means he LIKES you."

Tea finally managed to shove the dust bunny away and glared at the man in front of her, hissing, "If you think—"

Yami didn't hear the rest, slamming the door in her face and stalking back out onto the deck. "How did she even get on the ship…" he gasped when he saw his crew, all playing with the gems Tea had given him. He touched his pocket….they must have fallen out.

Noticing their captain's arrival, the men all rapidly hid the jewels, sheepish expressions of innocence on their faces. Yami rolled his eyes.

"Gentlemen, we have a new course!" His blood eyes narrowed….from amusement to seriousness. "We…are going to Tartarus."

**I hope you liked and please review :)! I had to make Yami's reaction slightly different from Sinbad's since it's his brother and not his friend.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	5. Harpies' Domain

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Chapter Five :)! Just a heads up, I've changed the mythological abilities of Harpies a bit so that the story makes more sense in case anyone is wondering :).**

**Sailorblaze:**

**Vivian: GET ME THE BOOK OF PEACE AND MOAR JEWELRY!**

**Bakura: Get me more hair!**

**BlackRose: HELP!**

**Yami: MIND CRUSH!**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Again, thanks for the American spelling for Aknadin :). All of these Egyptian names with half a dozen A's and H's are a HUGE pain to type LOL. Yami's issues with his father will be revealed in later chapters, but I don't want to spoil it for you :). And also, I forgot to put Eris instead of Vivian in the part where Yugi was talking about her to the ambassadors *facepalming myself* XD. **

**MutantEnemy6789: Thanks :)! I love making Yami and Tea drive each other nuts, then making them love each other XD. This chapter will have a TON of that :).**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Thanks :)! Poor Yami's gonna be in a body cast by the time this is all over LOL. About the Melvin thing—Marik is supposed to be Hikari Marik and Melvin is supposed to be Yami Marik. Since I'm having them be twins like the two guys in the Sinbad movie, I chose to call them Marik and Melvin in order to prevent confusion :). Also, Bakura and Ryo are shocked to see Tea at first, but are not surprised by her cleverness :D.**

**Aqua girl 007: Haha, that was one of my favorite dialogue sequences in the entire movie XD.**

**Lioutenant Flame: I love making Yami slightly perverted XD.**

As Yami expected, the response to his announcement of their going to Tartarus….was overly negative.

"Huh?" Melvin's mouth gaped open, dropping the gem he'd tried to hide between his teeth. "What happened to Fiji?"

Marik looked equally shocked. "No fun?"

"No beaches?" Ryo put in unhappily.

Yami ignored them, continuing his stone-faced walk to the upper deck until a lea dropped onto his head from above. He growled in irritation, unwinding the itchy, flower covered object and casting a glare up at the mast.

"Joey!"

"Sorry, Captain!" Joey leaped off of the crow's nest, hanging upside down on a rope while clutching a ukulele in his grasp. "But….did I hear you say 'Tartarus'?"

"That's right," the rogue replied simply. He tried to push the suspended blonde away from him, but Joey continued to follow and ask questions from his upside down position.

"Will that be the same Tartarus from which no sailor ever returns? The Tartarus of lost souls where the grind your bones and pickle your spleen and—"

Yami had finally had enough. He seized the man by his blonde hair, holding him stationary but still upside down. His crimson eyes were sarcastic and his voice sounded none-too-pleased.

"No, Joey," he growled. "This is the NICE Tartarus with lots of beaches and drinks…you know the ones with little umbrellas?" He scowled and sent Joey swinging away before stalking up to the steering wheel.

Bakura stood there, staring out at the vast ocean in front of them….and smirking. He seemed to have gotten over the shock of Tea's sudden appearance….and was now quite proud of himself that the captain had been swayed by the very woman he had basically run away from at the party.

Catching sight of the first mate's knowing grin, Yami muttered, "I'm ONLY doing this…for the money."

"Right…" Bakura stretched out the word, making a vein pulse in Yami's forehead from the irritating sarcasm. "So how do we get there?"

The thief pointed out to the horizon at a lone star. The celestial body seemed to glow in the sky like a beacon, a jewel that had been placed there for the sole purpose of their newest adventure.

"That star's our point."

Bakura nodded, and turned the wheel hard, pointing the ship towards the star….and towards Tartarus.

From her ever-changing, grotesque lair, Vivian clutched a martini glass in her wispy fingers. Rather than staring at the overly vast earth model all day, she chose to gaze into this viewing object, a device that allowed her to monitor all of earth seas…and therefore monitor all of earth's SHIPS as well.

"Wow…" the evil woman murmured, glancing up at her constellation beasts. "Out little thief isn't going to run away…" Her lips formed into a mocking pout and one of her nastier creatures snarled. "He thinks he's going to pay us a visit. Hmmmm…."

Vivian thought for a moment….and her lips twisted into a cruel smile. She licked her finger and ran it over the rim of the glass, muttering, "Let's provide some background music…." She moved her finger round and round….until the birdlike, beauteous forms of Harpies appeared, their silhouettes attractive to any man….while women could only see the deadly claws on the tips of their fingers.

Grunting in effort, Tea used a knife she'd found to pry open the last nail on her cabin door's hinges. 'Cabin' being a loose term with which to describe the room she'd been locked in for what seemed like hours. It was a dark place, meant for food storage and preservation rather than living, and it stank horribly. The sour odor of pickles along with the foul stench of rotting eggs nearly made her gag, and she hoped to any god that would hear her that the scent hadn't seeped into her clothing. How dare that man….that CRIMINAL….carry her like a sack of potatoes and toss her in here in the same manner!

With one final thrust of the dagger, the last nail came loose and Tea drove her foot into the door. It fell off its hinges onto the wooden deck, and she was finally able to taste the sweet, salty air that always tantalized her lungs out on the ocean. Tossing the knife away, she glanced over to the other being who'd been trapped in the room with her and grinned.

"Oh, c'mon, you look great!"

Whimpering, Kuriboh toddled out from behind the door, a pink ribbon tied around the hair on top of his head. Tea rubbed his head affectionately and he leaned happily into her gentle touch….but as soon as her back was turned he promptly shook the humiliating bow off and trotted away.

Tea stepped out of the cabin….and couldn't help but gape in wonder at what she saw. All of the men worked simultaneously, striving to do the best job they could do at their different posts. Each and every job was important on its own….but they all worked together to accomplish one, great purpose, almost like an orchestra. It would be nothing special to any other person….but this was the life Tea had always dreamed of—living and working out on the sea, free from the confines of city walls.

The girl yelped and ducked as one of the younger men nearly whacked her in the head with a stack of poles.

"Oh!" Ryo's pale face went pink. "Pardon me Milady…"

She nodded absently….and gasped when she beheld their current route off the bow of the Dark Magician. It was a craggy face of rock that stretched on for quite a bit….with only one opening to get through it. Its peaks jutted upwards like horrid fangs, and even the sky above it seemed to darken the farther one ventured. She knew this place…..the place that was more than deserving of its name.

"The….the Dragon's Teeth…?"

The brunette gasped when she heard a man clear his throat, and turned around to see Joey staring at her upside down, hanging from a rope as usual.

"Indeed, Milady," he grinned, then raised his voice so that a certain someone in charge would hear his next comment. "Only the most FOOLISH OF CAPTAINS would dare to sail a ship through this."

"Joey!" Yami snapped. "Reef the fors'le!"

"Ugh…" Joey gave Tea a lamenting smile. "Excuse me, Milady…" he said before swinging over to do his ordered task.

Tea sighed and made her way through the throngs of busy crew members, up the wooden staircase, and towards the aforementioned 'foolish captain'. He was steering the ship with a serious hardness in those orbs of blood, gaze locked on the obstacle in front of them.

Cocking a worried eyebrow, Tea approached him and inquired, "Are you sure you know what you're—"

"Yes, we've done this before," Yami interrupted, rolling his eyes and sending a flare of anger through Tea's core.

"Look…" she began…only to be rudely interrupted again.

"NO there is NO other way, and YES you have my permission to stand there QUIETLY and get a free lesson in sailing."

"YOU KNOW—" the girl's voice rose…but she was interrupted for a third time.

"Besides…" the rogue cast her a mocking sideways glance. "A ship is NO PLACE…for a woman."

Tea drew a breath and was about to smack the living daylights out of him when he turned to shout something at one of his men.

"Tristan! Easy on the main!"

"Aye, Captain!"

The brunette rolled her eyes and grunted in disgust. How could ANYONE willingly obey this rude, egotistical man? And now….he could be leading them to their untimely deaths in the Dragon's Teeth.

Dark Magician slowly…ominously cruised into the jagged mouth of the passage. The inside was even more eerie than the outside, with an early silence that caused every movement to echo loudly and walls so narrow that the ship's mast actually scraped against some of the stone.

"Steady as she goes…" Yami called. His voice was calm and serious….but Tea could see his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel pegs. He was nervous…and trying desperately not to show it. The rest of the crew was openly fearful…but the captain was determined to be strong for them…that was at least ONE good point on his record in Tea's eyes.

"Rocks!" Joey called from his perch on one of the masts. "Off the starboard bow!"

The rogue acquiescently turned the wheel, directing Dark Magician around the obstacles….and into an even scarier area. This section, the heart of the Dragon's teeth, was filled with ships….or the remains of ships. They rested like grotesque skeletons, smashed into countless boulders and some even staked on high, pointed rocks, as if they'd been lifted and impaled there. A heavy, blue mist hung over the water, creating an all around atmosphere….of grim inevitability. There was also an eerie sound….a sweet humming that might have otherwise been overlooked had it not been for the impenetrable silence.

The ship moved farther inward, and Tea found herself actually leaning closer to the captain as her fear deepened. Now that they'd neared some of the ship skeletons….they could see the gruesome details of the wreckages. Skulls…human skulls….had been strung on the ships' ropes, like grizzly beads on a necklace. A ship's bow stuck out from this misty water, the custom shape of a fair maiden decorating it. The carved woman….had scratch marks from deadly claws in her wood, and drops of sea water dripped off of her face like tears…tears warning all who saw her…who saw her misfortune….to TURN BACK.

The sweet humming sound grew louder and Tea gasped.

"What IS that?"

Yami shushed her, but she didn't turn to look at him, glancing around anxiously. She gasped….when she finally saw the source of the noise. There were several figures beginning to peak out of the broken ships, their eyes…locked on the in tact one that had so foolishly wandered into their domain. The mysterious "they"…being Harpies.

Harpies were beauteous feminine creatures….but lethal ones at that. Their faces were flawless and beautiful, and their bodies….appealed to every man's fantasy. Instead of humanoid arms and legs, however, they possessed bird wings and talons….however it was said that only women could see the claws. All men could see, was the figure of a fantasy woman….and their sweet songs lulled them into a state of deliriousness….a state that caused them to be easy prey.

Tea gazed out at the creatures, who were still humming and flying around in graceful motions. One of them locked eyes with her….and grinned sinisterly, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth.

A shiver ran down the girl's spine and she began tugging at the captain's arm.

"Yami!" she called….but his face was a mask of sleepiness and bliss. He was under their spell….and a quick glance down at the staggering crew members told her that they were as well.

Tea yelped as the ship began to cruise down a sloped area of the pass, bumping into a few small boulders along the way.

"Yami!" she waved a hand in front of his face, but his crimson eyes were still blank and goofy. She glanced down at the crew. "Melvin? Marik?"

The twins did not respond, and Ryo suddenly tore his shirt off, shouting,

"Come and get it, ladies!"

"Bakura?" the brunette turned, hoping the HE at least would possess half a mind in this dire situation. No such luck…

Bakura leaned against the ship's railing, looking delirious and uncharacteristically shy as he murmured, "Come with me…we'll speak of love…"

Joey swung clumsily on his ropes, smashing into one of the masts and kissing the wood as if it were one of the invisible women everyone was mumbling about.

"Who's bad…?" Yami grinned goofily, leaning a head on his hand and practically falling over the steering wheel. "I'M bad…."

"MEN!" Tea threw her hands into the air in exasperation. She had to act now, for if the ship kept cruising with no guidance…it would surely end up a skeleton like all the others.

The girl grabbed Yami's ankle and pulled, causing him to fall to the ground and getting him away from the steering wheel. She grabbed it and began steadying the Dark Magician's path….but gasped in horror when she saw the Harpies beginning to land on the edges of the ship. The clueless men wandered towards them, arms outstretched, and Kuriboh gave a squeak of panic.

Thinking fast, Tea tossed the fuzz ball a rope.

"Wrap it around the crew! Now!"

Kuriboh squeaked in agreement and did as he was told, swinging the rope around the crew and successfully tying them all together so that they couldn't wander over the ship's railing.

Tea let out a sigh of relief….which quickly morphed into a horrified gasp when she saw that Joey was not among the bound men. She looked up….just in time to see the blonde swinging on one of his ropes into a Harpy's arms. The brunette heaved Yami's limp body up and onto the wheel to keep it in place, then grabbed a rope that had a hook on the end of it.

The Harpy had Joey in her grasp and had begun to kiss him….all the while raising her lethal talons to slice his throat.

She never got the chance.

Tea swung the hook like a cowgirl, catching the edge of Joey's trousers and yanking him free from the Harpy's grasp. The creature shrieked in anger, but did little else to reclaim her prey, for Harpies were bound by their nature to never lay a hand on a fellow female.

Tea had just begun to relax again…when one of the Harpies grabbed the captain from his post.

"Kuriboh!" The girl shouted. "Get Yami!"

Kuriboh squeaked and bounced forward as the Harpy dragged his master nearer and nearer to the ship's rail. He leaped forward, and grabbed a mouthful of Yami's hair, dragging him backwards. Even in his delirious state, the thief cried out in pain….and his rescue was cut short by yet another creature, grabbing him and kissing him.

Dark Magician veered downward into a dangerous, almost vertical drop. Tea yelped and fell down the steps onto the lower deck, her descent unheeded by any bodies. The Harpy that had been holding the captain, heard the girl's screaming plight, and dove upwards out of the way.

This…caused Tea to slam…mouth first…into Yami. Still out of his mind, Yami kissed her deeply, running his hands over her shoulders and the contours of her back. The girl blinked and tried to tear her lips away, but he held her tightly in his embrace. Finally, she hauled back and slugged him as hard as she could.

The rogue flopped onto the deck and Tea wiped her hand over her mouth in horror…but now wasn't the time to think about the inadvertent kiss—for this ship was soaring at full speed towards a large boulder directly ahead.

The girl ran back up the steps and grabbed the wheel. She turned it, trying to avoid the remains of other ships and boulders….but it was no easy task. The Harpies were beginning to sing louder in anticipation of another ship's death, and it did nothing to help Tea's concentration.

Thinking hard, the brunette gasped when she caught sight of a narrow passage that went around the large rock ahead, a passage that was littered with a few more ship skeletons. She turned the wheel hard, and out came the hooked blades designed for latching onto ships the pirates planned to loot.

With its speed and velocity, Dark Magician's hooks served as blades designed to clear a path through the narrow trench. They cut through the rotting would like butter, emerging on the other side…and out of the Dragon's Teeth. Tea heard the Harpies scream in anger….but knew they could do nothing, being forbidden from stepping out of their lair.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tea beamed as she stared over Dark Magician's bow. They had made it, no…SHE had made it, and the ship now cruised over sparkling, unheeded waters, beneath clear, blue sky.

The crew was finally starting to wake up from the enchantment as well, all of them, utterly confused. Yami groaned and pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his aching jaw. He stared out over the placid waters in confusion. Then, he looked up at the steering wheel, and was even more confused to see Tea controlling it, a big smile on her radiant face.

The rogue groaned and began stumbling past his crew, all of whom were trying to figure out what had just transpired.

"Wha…what happened?" Tristan moaned.

Ryo grinned. "Yami saved us!"

"No…" Joey swung around in aimless circles, the hook still attached to his pants. "TEA saved us."

"She did?"

"Amazing!"

Bakura grinned. "She is a clever girl….all right, men, snap out of it. Let's get back to reality. We've got a ship to sail.

The captain groggily made his way to the upper deck where Tea crouched, rubbing Kuriboh's head affectionately.

"Here's my little hero!" she beamed at the creature. "You were so brave…"

The little fuzz ball squeaked proudly and nuzzled against her.

Yami cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh…I…Uh…"

"Still think a ship's no place for a woman?" Tea raised her brows slyly.

The rogue stammered for a moment….and unfortunately, his pride took over.

"Absolutely! I mean…look at my ship!" he gestured to the deep gashes and broken bits of railing. "This railing was hand-carved mahogany! And here! These moldings came all the way from Damascus! Do you have ANY idea what I went through to steal these?" he crossed his arms over his well-build chest and huffed. "That's EXACTLY why women shouldn't drive!"

Tea…was speechless for a moment. When she finally found her words, they came out in a kind of shocked anger and bewilderment that anyone could act like such an arrogant, ungrateful jerk.

"Are you crazy? I saved your life!"

"Oh, I would've been fine!" Yami scoffed, brushing her away from the steering wheel. "I ALWAYS am."

The girl stared at him for a long moment. Her shoulders were so tense and her face was scrunched up so angrily that the rogue thought she might explode. Finally she just muttered, "Right…" and began walking back towards her so-called "cabin."

"So ungrateful…it's just…typical…"

Yami's crimson eyes followed her for a moment before he called,

"And you chipped the paint! Right there, look at it! That's MORE than a little scratch!"

Tea grasped the sides of her cabin door for a moment, her shoulders shaking with anger. She let out a disgusted grunt and stormed inside, slamming the doors shut behind her.

The crew members gave a collective sigh, and all turned around to glare at their captain. Yami blinked in confusion, glancing down at his pet for answers. Kuriboh merely glared at him as well, snorting with irritation.

The rogue let out a groan of complete exasperation and stomped down the steps toward Tea's cabin, mumbling to himself the whole way.

"The…the ship…a-and the crew….and the little hair ball….and th-this WOMAN…!"

He finally stopped and pounded none-too-gently on the door.

No answer.

The thief turned around to his men, who all glared back at him and crossed their arms disapprovingly. He scowled and pounded even harder on the wood until Tea finally poked her head out.

"WHAT?" she snapped, azure eyes narrowed fiercely.

Yami's blood orbs narrowed accordingly as he spat, "THANK YOU!

"YOU'RE WELCOME!"

"NO PROBLEM!"

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!"

"I WON'T!"

"GOOD!"

"GOODBYE!"

"BYE TO YOU!"

Tea slammed the door shut again.

Yami scowled and turned back to gaze upon his men. They all gave him approving smiles before setting off to their respective tasks, and the captain rolled his eyes. He glanced back at Kuriboh who was looking at him with that wide-eyed happy look that stood in for a smile.

"You happy now?"

The creature squeaked in contented response.

Yami huffed and stalked back towards his post….though he couldn't help but secretly marvel at how beautiful Tea had looked, standing up at the wheel and steering the Dark Magician. He'd never met a girl like her before…someone who was intimidated neither by his looks or his reputation…and she intrigued him.

As he walked, Kuriboh gave a little, apprehensive squeak….wondering when his master would notice the rather large chunk of tri-colored hair the dust bunny had bitten off dragging him away from the harpy.

On the other side of her "cabin's" door, Tea leaned against the wood, sliding down onto the floor and grinning. Never before had she experienced such a thrill…such triumph…..such freedom.

Unconsciously, her fingers wandered to her full lips, and she began to think about the kiss…Yami's kiss…rough and hot, yet…she shook her head. No…Tea REFUSED to think like that….yet somehow…she could not seem to help herself.

**I hope you liked and please review :)! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I kinda wanted to slap Yami all throughout this chapter XD.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	6. Island Turtle

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Here's chapter six :).**

**Atem's Sister Atea: I have the same reaction to the siren scene LOL. I had Kuriboh bite Yami's hair instead of his pants because I thought losing his gorgeous hair would suit Yami more XD. Oh, and you may slap Yami as many times as you like :).**

**MutantEnemy6789: Thanks :)! Typical men XD…**

**Sailorblaze:**

**BlackRose: *Holding Yami in a headlock* How dare you act like such a jerk to Tea!**

**Yami: HELP!**

**Bakura: Hey, don't look at me. You know she hates it when men act like idiots towards women.**

**Ryo: GREAT SCOTT! What happened to my shirt?**

**Bakura: You tore it off during the Harpy scene, remember?**

**Ryo: Oh dear…Mummy is NOT going to be happy about this…**

**Aqua girl 007: I would want to slap the person who said "a ship is no place for a woman" too XD.**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Thanks :)! Yeah, Yami needs someone to knock him off his high horse XD.**

**Yami: Please, no more headlocks or ear pullings….**

**BlackRose: Okay…*Leaps onto his back and starts pulling his hair* How 'bout this?**

**Dany14-black8: Thank you :)!**

Syracuse….once prosperous city of peace…citadel of beauty and tranquility….was shrouded with a cloud of impenetrable darkness. The violent earthquakes had stopped now, leaving many buildings cracked or completely demolished…and now an eerie silence punctuated by the lack of the Book's comforting light….was all that remained.

Leaning his head against his arm, Yugi sighed and stared out the window. How could this have happened? What very well could have been one of the best days of his life…the day when he was finally reunited with his long lost brother and he finally delivered the Book of Peace to its resting place….turned out to be a day filled with his worst nightmares.

The sound of keys jingling and locks turning made the young prince turn around. The wooden cell door opened, and in stepped King Aknamkanon. There was a dark shadow over his face, and not just from the lack of light in this candle-lit chamber. The man looked like he'd aged a hundred years in one day.

"Yugi," he said, his voice a whisper. "Come quickly…"

"What?" Yugi raised his brows.

The king grasped his son's arm and began dragging him towards the open door. "There's a ship waiting for you in the harbor. A crew of my most trusted officers will take you far from Syracuse."

The prince's eyes widened and he pulled his arm away.

"But the ambassadors' guards—"

"Are asleep," Aknamkanon cut him off, "or well-bribed. But we must go now."

"Go where? To live the rest of my life in exile?"

"To LIVE son!" Aknamkanon's eyes were desperate and pained. "I cannot risk that Yami will not return! I love the both of you too much for that…He's gotten away, now so will you! I won't let the ambassadors execute you for a crime your brother may or may not have committed."

Yugi's eyes were calm as he replied, "Neither will Yami."

"Yugi, don't be a fool!" Aknamkanon snapped. "The Yami you knew, the Yami we BOTH knew as a child would certainly make such a dangerous venture for you…but we don't know how he feels now! This Yami as a man—"

"Is still the way he was as a child!" the young prince's eyes were determined. "I've seen it!"

"Yugi…"

A small smile played on Yugi's lips. He placed a gentle hand on the over-stressed ruler's shoulder and murmured, "Go, Father. I know what I'm doing."

The king heaved a heavy sigh and squeezed his son's forearms. The desire for Yugi to leave was still in his eyes…those eyes that were the spitting image of Yami's….but he knew that his son was not to be swayed. With one more worried exhale he turned around…and headed out the door, locking it securely behind him.

Yugi stared at the closed door for a moment before returning to his post at the window. Gazing out at the dreary sky, a gave a small sigh and whispered,

"I believe in you, my brother…please don't prove my faith misguided."

Out on the ocean, the Dark Magician had anchored at a sizable island. It was covered in trees with only a few barren patches, and the crew hoped to find supplies with which to repair the ship.

"All right, listen up!" Bakura called out to the men. "We're here for ten minutes! If you get lost, you get left!"

Using one of his tools to try to repair a break in the ship's railing, Yami's mood began to sink lower and lower.

"How could ONE woman do SO much damage…?" he muttered and groaned as the wood made a sickening cracking sound. "All right…" the captain strode purposefully up the stairs to the upper deck. "I'm going to need a full set of chisels, the jack plank, and about a cord of cut wood."

Bakura nodded. "All right, men! You heard the captain. Find some logs and be quick about it."

Tea watched the captain curiously as he walked back down the stairs. He caught her gaze, then bent over the side of the railing, rubbing it as if soothing an injured child. He was obviously trying to rub in Tea's so-called "abusive handling of his baby".

"Oh for heavens sake!" the girl threw her hands up in exasperation. She grabbed a bucket off the deck and continued, "All you need is a little tree sap and she'll be as good as new!"

Yami looked up, blood eyes narrowed in irritation.

"When I WANT your advice, I'll…Hey!" he leaped to attention when he saw her exiting the ship onto the island with Kuriboh at her heels. "Where do you think you're going?"

Tea completely ignored him and the rogue rolled his eyes.

_"Women…" _he thought, and couldn't help but feel a little worried for her safety.

"Fine! At least take someone with y—"

Before he could even get the order out, every single one of his crew members rushed to the girl's side, begging to be of assistance.

"Why, thank you!" Tea gave a heart-stopping smile at the men, who were practically drooling over her. She then cast a mocking look back at Yami, adding, "How NICE to see that SOME men haven't forgotten a little common courtesy."

"Common courtesy…" a vein pulsed in Yami's forehead at the jab. He felt irritated, but not mainly at her. He didn't like that the OTHER crew members were receiving her positive attention…that she seemed to like them…that….He shook the thought away. It shouldn't matter to him…why would it…?

The rogue saw a figure moving towards the plank and muttered, "Not so fast."

Bakura raised a quizzical eyebrow. "But…you KNOW she's right. The tree sap would be perfect for—"

"JUST…stay with the ship…" the captain growled and stormed off to join the others.

Bakura leaned back against one of the mast bases and chuckled to himself as he watched his friend heatedly pursue the girl.

"Wow…He's got it bad."

Tea walked several yards ahead with the other men while Kuriboh bounced after butterflies and various other tiny wildlife. The land was more barren here than in other places and dotted with a special type of tree that was known for holding a ton of sap.

Noticing the distance between himself and Tea, Yami bit his lip involuntarily and called out, "I already said 'thank you'! That's what this is all about, right?"

"It's about repairing the ship," Tea smiled at him with amusement. She wondered how long this had been bugging him. "If I break something I fix it."

The brunette stopped at a particularly fat looking tree and held out a delicate hand.

"Knife please."

The rogue rolled his crimson eyes.

"Oh, right…like I give YOU a weapon?"

In response to this, the others readily whipped out various swords and daggers. Yami kneaded his forehead in annoyance.

"Thank you, Joey," The blue-eyed beauty smiled at him and took the knife.

The blonde grinned, then leaped over to stand beside his captain.

"You know…" he grinned, "you really ought to be a little more courteous."

Joey burst into a fit of snickers…which were abruptly halted by Yami's fist colliding with his face, knocking him off the boulder he was perched on.

"Great…" the thief muttered under his breath. "Now I'm getting etiquette lessons from a bilge rat."

"Well…" Bakura's little brother tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She DID save the ship, Captain."

"Thank you, Ryo," Tea smiled at him as she drove her knife into the tree's base.

Joey groggily got to his feet and added, "And now she's helping to fix it."

"Very handy, I say," Marik smiled.

"And brave!" his twin put in.

Tea blushed, holding the bucket beneath the gash in the tree's bark to catch the oozing sap. She didn't intend to get all this praise….but it sure was fun watching how irritated the captain got as a result.

Yami ran an exasperated hand over his face and snapped,

"This…this GIRL wouldn't know how to fix a broken fingernail!"

Turning around with her now-full bucket, Tea narrowed her striking blue eyes and proclaimed, "Honestly, you are the most boorish, pig-headed man I've ever met."

"Hey, lady! I've seen the highborn boys YOUR type hangs out with…" Yami gave a sly, perverse smile. "I'm the ONLY man YOU'VE ever met."

He caught sight of the fury in the girl's face and snickered, turning around and walking back towards the ship. Just when he got a few yards away…a bucket collided with his head, leaving a mass of tree sap glued to his hair and running down his back. Yami growled and turned around, seeing Tea grinning and examining her fingernails as if the fault was not so obviously hers. The crew looked shocked…and a few of them were holding their breaths to keep from laughing.

_"Very well…"_ An evil grin twisted the corners of the rogue's mouth. _"Two can play at this game, my dear…"_

Yami bent down and began rolling a huge mound of mud into his hands.

"Oh, no…" Tea shook a warning finger at him. "No, no, no…NO—"

A mass of sticky mud hit her squarely in the face, knocking her onto her back on the sandy ground.

A whistle sounded among the men. Leaning over to whisper to his brother, Melvin, muttered, "Five on Tea…" as the girl stood up.

Her face was covered in brown goo….but her azure eyes burned with anger. She wiped the crud from her face, and in a low voice,

"YOU….egotistical…."

"You spoiled…" Yami countered but found himself backing up slightly from the young woman's obvious rage.

"DISRESPECTFUL!..." her voice raised and she lifted a crab from the ground to throw at him. "PRETENTIOUS…POMPOUS…!"

"Deluded…!" the rogue narrowly avoided the crab only to get hit in the head with some sort of round fruit. "High and mighty!"

"Self-centered! Untrustworthy! UNGRATEFUL IMPOSSIBLE INSUFFERABLE…!"

Yami evaded a plethora of items before finally getting close enough to stare directly into those fiery cerulean eyes.

"At least I'm not repressed!" he grinned triumphantly.

"REPRESSED?" Tea glared at him fiercely. "I'll show you repressed!"

The girl bent down with the intention of breaking off a mound of dirt to coat him with….but instead tore off a large flake of some hard substance. She couldn't have cared less. Heaving the flake over her head, the brunette started to whack the captain in the head with it….when a violent shaking of the earth nearly knocked her down.

All around, trees and other plant life…..began to be sucked into the earth. A flock of angry birds who had just lost their nests flew away, directing everyone's attention to the far end of the island….or rather what they THOUGHT was an island. Out of the water….rose the large green head of a giant turtle. It slowly turned around and stared down at them, its hooked mouth gigantic and menacing.

"Put it back…" Yami growled out of the corner of his mouth.

Tea chuckled nervously and dropped the large shell flake onto the ground. As soon as she did so….the gargantuan shell began to shake again and the Island Turtle let out a raspy roar.

"RUN!" The captain yelled and the others had no need to be told twice.

"IT'S A FRIGGIN TURTLE!" Marik yelled in an amusingly shrill tone.

The shell they were running on top of was still shaking violently and Yami caught sight of the creature's massive legs beside Dark Magician.

"Bakura!" he shouted. "BAKURA!"

The first mate cast him a panicked look and fell onto the deck when Island Turtle's leg created a large tidal wave that pushed the ship several yards away.

"Jump!" The rogue cried, grabbing Tea's hand and leaping onto the creature's outstretched leg. They landed unceremoniously and slid down until it was flat enough to sit on.

Breathing hard, Yami grabbed Tea's waist, holding her against his chest protectively. Completely forgetting their previous argument, the girl clung to him, looking frantically around for the others.

As if on cue, the crew and Kuriboh leaped off the shell and onto the leg, sliding down and slamming into both captain and girl.

Shoving Joey off of him, the thief called out again, "BAKURA!"

"Got it!" the white-haired man swung the wheel hard, turning the ship as the others flew off the leg and went soaring through the air.

Yami's arm went around the brunette's middle again and he caught one of the ropes. He swung around, landing them both expertly on the upper deck.

"Veer off, Bakura!"

"Wait!" Tea pointed to the horizon. "The star!"

Sure enough, the Island Turtle was heading straight towards their destination…and due to its large size, it was moving faster than any ship could on its own.

The rogue grinned and seized a grappling hook from the deck, rushing towards the bow and tossing the rope end to Joey.

"Joey! Tie off!"

The blonde was confused, but he obeyed while his captain raced to the bow. Yami threw the hook and it caught on an uneven surface of the shell…..and so the ride began,

Dark Magician jerked suddenly, and the captain tripped, falling comically onto the deck. He looked up just in time to see Tea giggling and beaming at him.

Yami grinned in triumph. It seemed after much trial and error…he'd FINALLY made her smile.

Dark Magician soared over the ocean, bouncing over wave after wave as it headed towards the lone star….towards the Realm of Chaos.

When morning arrived, the ship was still bouncing over the ocean….and the crew was beyond nauseated. Yami was leaning over the edge of the ship, ready to lose control of his body at any moment.

Clinging to the mast, Bakura called out, "Yami! The men can't take much more!" his pallid skin was a sickly green.

The rogue wretched and nearly fell over the railing.

"I can't…take much more either…" he croaked. "Cut the line!"

Groaning, Joey brought his rapier down and sliced through the rope. Immediately, the Dark Magician slowed, cruising forward a few feet on the frothy waves before coming to a gradual stop. All of the crew members were lolling over the railing, groaning while poor Kuriboh hiccupped pitifully.

"Ugh…" Yami sat down on a lower section of the railing and grinned sheepishly at Tea. "Who's idea was that again?"

"I don't know…" Tea kept a hand over her squeamish stomach. She went and sat beside him, smiling teasingly as she said, "But he owes me lunch…"

The rogue smiled, then gazed out at their new surroundings. The ship now rested before a landscape of strange structures—oddly shaped formations of stone that stood out in a grotesquely beautiful manner against the dusky sky.

"The Granite Gates…" the captain went to stand at Dark Magician's bow. "I bet you never though I'd get us this far."

"No, I didn't…" the girl blushed, then smiled. "But…Yugi did. He really trusts you."

"Well…" Yami chuckled and turned to rest his elbows on the rail, ruby eyes, downcast. "What could HE have been thinking…?"

Guilt stabbed at the brunette's heart. She hadn't meant to hurt him….but the words came out in a different context than she meant. She went to stand next to him and inquired, "What do you guys do when you were kids?"

Yami looked up at her and grinned.

"Got into fights, ran through our lives…the usual." He grabbed a peg used to tie a pair of ropes together. It resembled a dagger and was perfect for his favorite tale. "Our first adventure…I had gotten into trouble with some angry thugs. They had me cornered against the palace walls and I was trapped with no way out. Swords pointed at me from all directions…then suddenly…there was a fourth blade. It was Yugi. I never took the kid with me on my…illegitimate activities because I thought he was too young and timid…but he turned out to be a tough little fella. He had watched everything from his window and climbed down to fight at my side…"

The youth's crimson eyes gleamed happily at the memory. Boy, did we fight…it was like we rehearsed it. From that day forward, he was my best friend as well as my brother."

Tea smiled at him and cocked her head in confusion.

"What happened with you two?" she asked.

Yami looked at her. The joyous sparkle in his ruby eyes…faded into darkness. He looked….so sad.

"What?" she said with concern.

The rogue heaved a heavy sigh.

"Dad and I….had a disagreement…" he murmured…and silently walked away.

Tea watched him go with silent sadness and worry. Whatever happened…had hurt him deeply…whatever his dad had done….wounded him far worse than the blades of those thugs…ever could.

**Hope you liked and please review :)! I decided not to make Kuriboh throw up because….I REALLY didn't want to describe that XD.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	7. Broken Ice

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Chapter seven :).**

**Sailorblaze: **

**Bakura: Where's Yami?**

**BlackRose: I'm making him write "I will treat Tea with more respect" one hundred times on a blackboard.**

**Bakura: You are bloody strict, girl.**

**BlackRose: Watch it or I'll make you spend all eternity with Vivian like I did to Marik in Corpse Bride!**

**Bakura: Aah! Have MERCY!**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks, the fight scene is probably one of my favorite parts in the movie XD. The disagreement between Yami and his father will be revealed in the chapter after this one :).**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Thanks :)! Yami's ego is starting to be knocked down a bit XD. Slifer the Sky Dragon is going to be the ice bird thing because I figured he can fly and breathes electricity rather than fire, so he could live in an icy climate (plus I needed a bigger dragon than Blue-Eyes). Oh, and you may join in any time on the pulling of Yami's hair.**

**Yami: I didn't do anything!**

**BlackRose: You called Tea "spoiled" last chapter.**

**Yami: I…PLEASE HAVE MERCY!**

**BlackRose: Sorry, all out of mercy *BlackRose and Sunrise Phoenix both jump on Yami's back and start pulling his hair*.**

**MutantEnemy6789: Thanks :)! I agree, sometimes I wish Yami and Tea would have had some disagreements in the show instead of being so…cautious around each other.**

**Aqua girl 007: Haha, Yami is no "knight in shining armor" in this fic XD.**

Vivian sat lazily in her grotesque dimension, lounging in what seemed to be a gigantic space-like Jacuzzi. Darkness blanketed the space around her, making the place look as if it had no beginning and no end, and the only source of light came from the glowing, silvery bubbles floating around her. She used these bubbles to survey each mortal on earth…and currently she gazed at the troubled faces of Yami and Tea.

The woman rolled her eyes. Mortal issues were so trivial when compared to the ultimate goal…to HER ultimate goal

"Enough talking…" she sighed. Her lips then twisted into a heartless grin as she added, "Time for some screaming…"

Vivian turned her head upwards and blew on the bubble with Tea's image shimmering on it. The tiny sphere froze into a ball of ice, falling from the space into her outstretched hand. She then shook it like a snow globe….and the icy image of another one of her "pets" appeared.

Dark Magician was sailing peacefully through one of the granite arches….when all of a sudden, the entire area…froze. The ocean turned into stone-thick ice, stopping the ship dead in its tracks, while snow collected on the masts and stone structures around it.

Kuriboh yelped when the frigid air blew into his face, tiny snow clumps sticking to the edges of his fur.

"For crying out loud, what next?" Yami groaned.

He turned to walk to the lower deck….and ran face first into one of Bakura's horn-like locks of snowy hair. "Ack! Comb your hair before you poke someone's eye out!" The captain snapped and Bakura only rolled his eyes.

The captain stood at the railing and shouted at his men, "Okay, guys! Get down there and break it up! We've got to keep moving!"

Groaning, the crew put on what little ice-proof clothing they had and set to work on the frozen sea with pickaxes. Unfortunately, most of their clothes were less than suitable as they never expected to enter frigid climates.

Shivering as he hammered at the ice, Joey mumbled, "Steal the Book of Peace…we will retire to the tropics!"

Wearing a thick, black coat and hood over his unruly hair, Yami paced agitatedly over the deck. He knew…Vivian HAD to be behind this….and if they couldn't break up the ice in time….they might not make it to Tartarus.

A sudden urgent squeaking from Kuriboh made him turn in alarm. The little creature was looking around, growling and glaring fiercely…at what…? The fuzz ball went to perch beside Tea, who was wearing a thick blue coat over her usual clothes. He continued to growl, making everyone stop what they were doing…and look around.

Suddenly, Kuriboh let out a squeak of terror and ran to hide inside one of the cabins. Something was DEFINITELY wrong.

Yami's ruby eyes scanned over the frigid landscape. It was difficult to see anything both from the tiny shards of sharp ice in the glacial breeze and due to the fact that everything seemed to be a blur of white. He looked…..and gasped when he saw…a flash of red. Last time he checked…nothing that had remotely anything to do with snow was red.

The red thing disappeared for a moment, casting an eerie silence over the area. Everyone waited….and yelped when a massive creature suddenly burst through a wall of ice. It was a gigantic snake-like dragon with red scales and purple eyes. It slithered through the snow-filled air, snapping and swiping at everyone in sight.

"Everyone!" Yami shouted. "Get back to the ship!"

The men didn't need to be told twice. They dropped whatever tools they were holding and fled back to Dark Magician…but unfortunately, not all of them were skilled at running through the snow. Tristan lagged behind, slipping and tripping over the icy substance while the fabled Slifer the Sky Dragon swiped at his heels.

The man had to leap into the burningly cold water to avoid getting eaten, and Tea cried out frantically to him. Tristan emerged from the water, clinging to a slab of ice but unable to get a solid grip on it.

Thinking fast, the girl seized a rope from Dark Magician's deck and threw it to him.

"Grab the rope!"

Tristan did so frantically while Tea began tying the rope to the ship's mast. Unfortunately, as she did this….she did not notice Slifer setting his sights on her.

"TEA!' Yami shouted….but it was too late.

The dragon swooped down with its claws, snatching the girl up in them and preparing to fly off. Yami raced forward and grabbed her hand….but he was slammed into the side of the ship's railing….and lost his grip.

The girl screamed….and all Yami could do was watch helplessly as Slifer flew off with her towards the highest peak of the Granite Gates.

Tea yelped as the dragon threw her unceremoniously to the ground, sending her rolling across the unforgiving ice. She know it had to be even colder up here than it was down at the ship….but she was to terrified to be cold.

The brunette scrambled to her feet and tried to run…but Slifer brought down his claws, trapping her as if she were in a cage. Luckily…Tea was as smart as she was terrified. She slipped out of her coat right as the creature swooped down to clamp his jaws on her, running somewhere…..anywhere away from the beast.

Tea slid into a cage-like formation of ice that hid her from prying eyes, and pressed her back up against it. Her heart was pounding, and lurched every time the dragon let out a snarl of anger as he scraped around in the snow for his escaped lunch.

Back on the ship, Yami was shouting instructions to his men, readying himself to rescue Tea. Though he tried to look calm…he was secretly worried out of his mind for the girl who'd been taken trying to save one of his men….and he'd be damned if he didn't put up a good fight to get her back. With a knife tied to each foot, he was going to try quite an interesting method of scaling the wall of ice…but he needed two more knives to do so.

A grin twisted the rogue's face as he turned to his first mate, saying, "Hey Bakura…give me hug."

"Excuse me?" Bakura tensed in horror as the captain suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist….and pulled the two daggers out of his waist sheathe. Bakura rolled his eyes and Yami smirked.

"Try not to get killed out there, huh?" the white-haired man muttered.

"I always do!" the rogue grinned. He attached a round shield to his back and ran over to the harpoon gun. He tied the rope attached to the harpoon to one of his daggers and called out for Kuriboh to do his part. The little puff ball bounced over, pulled the lever…..and the harpoon and Yami were sent hurtling towards the wall of ice.

The thief flew through the bitingly cold air, clutching the daggers in his fists so that their points faced towards the target…..until he finally slammed into the wall of ice. The daggers stuck into it, every bit as effective as professional climbing tools….only these would not allow him to climb down…he would worry about that later.

He shook the ice off his face and began climbing up the wall, using his daggers to stake into the snow. Along the way, his worry came out in the form of irritation.

"Oh she didn't SEE the lizard?" Yami muttered crossly. "Everyone ELSE saw it…it's as big as a freakin' ship!...Tea…Tea's looking the OTHER way…"

Tea peered out from her ice cage hiding place, azure eyes locked on the monster. He was still digging around in the snow, growing more and more impatient as he shoveled away layer after layer of white fluff. She watched….and gave a muffled gasp when a gloved hand suddenly clamped over her mouth.

The girl turned around, tugging at the hand and yelping…until she saw it was Yami. He shushed her, crimson eyes fearful…but looking somewhat relieved. She groaned and pulled at the hand that he'd forgotten to remove…but gave a wide smile when he finally released her.

Yami's heart lurched. She looked so lovely…her azure eyes sparkling…tiny, glimmering snowflakes on her ebony eyelashes…her ivory skin slightly pink from the cold but even more accentuated against the snowy atmosphere…those full, pink lips…he kicked himself, forcing his mind to concentrate.

"You're rescuing me!" the girl beamed.

Yami fought back a flush. "Yes…if that's what you want to call it…but this is gonna cost you another diamond! Rescues aren't part of the usual tourist package."

The girl smirked and gasped when she heard the dragon's footsteps thudding closer. She grabbed the man's hand and dragged him to the next ice cage.

"How are we going to get down?" she whispered.

"I…" Yami's face went slightly paler. "I don't know."

"WHAT?"

"I don't know YET….I'm thinking about it, all right?"

Tea's face bore an incredulous expression. "You scaled a thousand-foot tower of ice…and you…don't know how to get back down?"

"Of all the ungrateful…!" Yami's ruby eyes flashed with annoyance. "Look, if you'd rather take your chances on your own that can be arranged!"

"Shhh—shh—shh!" the girl pressed a frantic finger to her lips and they both hid against the icy structure….as Slifer noisily passed them. "So, what do we have to work with? Um….ropes?"

The rogue smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "No…"

"Um…grappling hooks?"

"Yeah…no."

"Your swords?" Tea's voice held an echo of desperation.

The thief tapped his chin, then brightened. He reached into his waistband and produced a small dagger. "I've got this!"

"Oh, great…" the brunette rolled her eyes. "He can pick his teeth when his done with us…"

Yami grinned slyly and began tossing the knife about as if it were a toy. "In the hands of an expert, a good knife has a thousand and one uses…" he cringed as he threw the knife up a little too far. It stuck to the roof of the cage….and the entire structure…fell apart with an obnoxious cracking sound. They were now completely exposed.

Tea growled and gave Yami a look that clearly said, "If I die because of you I'm going to haunt you for all eternity". The rogue chuckled nervously….and winced as the creature slowly…ominously turned his gigantic crimson head…and locked his purple eyes onto them.

"RUN!" Yami grabbed Tea's hand and took off over the ice.

The dragon pursued them relentlessly over the snow, smashing through icy formations that would otherwise be impossible for anyone else to break down. The rogue brought the girl to the edge of the cliff and she balked upon reaching it.

"Wait…what are you doing?"

"Let's go!"

The thief threw them both off the cliff…and thus began a freefall towards the unforgiving icy ground below. Tea stared at him in terror, but he gave no explanation. Tearing the shield off his back with one hand, Yami used the other to grab the girl and hold her bridal style in his arms. Holding her tightly against his chest, the youth braced both of them and grunted as they hit the ground and began sliding across the snow on top of the shield which now served as a sled.

They slid and bounced violently over the ice, Tea clinging to the thief as he did his best to steer the shield in the proper direction. Taking a quick survey of their surroundings, Yami said, "I think we lost him…"

As if to contradict, Slifer's crimson body burst out from behind a wall of rock and began looming towards them.

"I don't think so!" the brunette cried.

"Heads down!" Yami whipped the shield out from under his back and held it over Tea, hugging her tightly against his chest. They both yelped, feeling the dragon's snout slam into the shield before it recoiled and snarled in anger.

The youth struggled to replace the shield, yelling comically as snow began to spurt out of his coat. Tea would have laughed…had it not been for the fact that they were a hair away from being eaten.

Yami vaulted back onto the shield and held Tea in his arms again. He risked a quick glance behind him, seeing nothing. He and Tea looked at each other in relief, and Yami nearly blushed upon realizing how close they were…how her body was smashed up against his…the infatuated thought was abruptly interrupted when Slifer knocked over a large stone structure. A single, small rock landed in their path…but that was all it took to launch the shield into the air.

They both yelled as the monster's jaws nearly clamped down on them, landing back on the ground with a painful thud. The dragon swooped in front of them, snarling fiercely and stretching his teeth-filled jaws open to catch the two youths…who were rapidly sliding towards him.

Tea whimpered and buried her face in the rogue's neck. He looked around desperately…and gasped when he noticed a small opening into a glacial cave.

"Lean right!" he shouted, thrusting both of them to the side and forcing them into a standing position in the process. He held Tea against his side as they slid into the dark cave and barely stopped before they fell off a steep drop in the cave. Both kids breathed heavily and offered each other a small smile….which abruptly turned to horrified gasps when Slifer burst into the cave.

Tea screamed and Yami launched them, still standing, off the ledge and onto the ground below, continuing their desperate flight. The shield slid over sharp daggers of ice, the dragon pursuing close behind…until the captain caught sight of an alternate path.

"Hold on!" he shouted, driving his dagger into the ice and using his trajectory to change their path towards a smaller opening. This one lay at the end of a narrower passage…and was their last chance.

The sled soared and Slifer scrambled to keep up…but the space was too small for his gargantuan body. A large stone toppled over…and landed squarely on his head, trapping him in place.

Yami and Tea flew out of the opening…and into open air. It seemed that the opening led out of the stone cliff, directly into the empty space hundreds of feet over Dark Magician. They both screamed and clung to each other.

Hearing the yells, Bakura gave a casual glance upward and announced, "Yep…there they are."

Melvin stared in awe while Marik followed suit, absently flicking him the coin they'd bet on.

The youths landed on one of the crimson sails. Though it ripped, it slowed their fall, causing in a non-injuring landing on the deck.

The red-eyed rogue breathed heavily, keeping his hand under Tea's head so that she wouldn't hit it on the hard wood.

"There…" he panted. "Just as I…planned…"

Tea giggled and Yami noticed he was lying on top of her, staring into those gorgeous sapphire eyes….and she didn't seem to mind. She beamed and placed her hands on his chest while his involuntarily slipped beneath her slender shoulders. She was so close…her lips inches away…her breath warm on his face…and the crimson fabric of Dark Magician's sail…concealed them both. Sliding a hand up to her cheek, Yami leaned in slightly…and leapt backwards when the crew ripped the sail off of them.

They all stared for a moment…then simultaneously shouted, "IT'S TEA!"

The men cheered excitedly, helping the girl to her feet and rejoicing at her return.

"We thought you were gone forever!" Joey sobbed, hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe.

Feeling awkward, Yami cleared his throat, stretching his back to get the kinks out and teasing, "Oh, I'm fine. REALLY…I'm touched by your concern…"

He stretched his spine one last time, and his eyes widened when a thundering crack sounded. It didn't come from his back, though…

The rogue slowly turned around…and gasped when he saw gigantic boulders falling off the cliff he and Tea had just flown out of. The rocks tumbled down the slope….and broke up the ice that the crew was unable to clear, creating a clear path into the ocean.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment…then burst into thrilled cheers. The captain could only chuckle and shake his head, realizing that if Tea hadn't been captured…they would probably still be here, chipping away at the thick ice.

His crimson eyes flicked over to the girl. She was laughing as she turned…and met his soft gaze. Yami smiled at her…and finally…she smiled back, a look of genuine fondness in those hypnotic azure eyes.

It seemed that the ice hindering Dark Magician's path…was not the ONLY ice that had finally been broken.

**I hope you liked and please review :). Sorry this chapter is so short; I didn't have as much time to work on it today… The next chapter will open up with Yami revealing the issues between him and his dad and why he reacted to Tea they way he did towards Tea at the party. As a pointless side note, the whole time during the part where Yami launched himself with the harpoon gun, I kept thinking of this:**

**Slifer: Did you just throw a harpoon at me?**

**Yami: I…I didn't want you to eat my girlfriend…and I didn't know how else to get your attention.**

**Slifer: Just ask! Just say. "Hey, Slifer, could you eat Vivian instead of Tea. Don't lob a freaking harpoon at me! That's like the rudest thing ever!**

**LittleKuriboh is burned into my brain LOL.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	8. Gates of Chaos

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Here's chapter eight :)! I've answered the questions about my next fic in the note at the bottom of this list to everyone.**

**Dany14-black8: Thanks :)! Poor Yami was covered in chalk dust by the time he got finished XD.**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks :)! Haha, you're right his eyes ARE yellow (I think my brain decided to take a vacation yesterday XD). Yep, it's time to reveal the big secret about Yami and Aknamkanon :)! As I said above, I've listed my next project at the bottom of this lest but I would very much like to hear your suggestions :). **

**Sailorblaze: **

**Bakura: MY HAIRRRRR!**

**BlackRose: Eeek! I didn't do it!**

**Yami: MIND CRUSH!**

**BlackRose: Whew….thank you…**

** Haha, poor 'Kura XD. I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question…what was it you were asking whether or not I read?**

**MutantEnemy6789: Thanks :)! I would let Yami hug me any day too LOL. I've always felt sorry for Yami Bakura (thinking that he should have been redeemed like all the other Yugioh villains) so I really enjoy making him a good character :).**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Haha, yeah, deep down I think Yami's a knight too….even though he's not very polite in this fic LOL.**

**Yami: *sniffs* Are you going to beat me up again?**

**BlackRose: No, you're a good boy now *pats his head*. **

**Aqua girl 007: Haha, yeah it seems he's finally learned some manners XD. I do agree with you that the romance was really abrupt…I think I was just getting impatient for it to get here LOL. Oh, and Mana makes a cameo in this chapter :).**

**Lioutenant Flame: Haha, I think the only thing that gets Bakura worried is when someone threatens his hair XD. It always cracks me up in the movie whenever they show the twins that Marik and Melvin are supposed to be; They are ALWAYS gambling LOL.**

**TO EVERYONE: Next, I'm going to do a revolutionshipping story based on the Lion King. It won't be a rewrite (that wouldn't really make much sense seeing as the original characters are animals LOL) but it will be strongly based on it as far following the basic plot. I'm not sure when I'll get to it because I've got some other work to do that may or may not interfere with the time I get to spend on the fic. I'll probably be able to do it, but updates may be a little slower :).**

Dark Magician cruised peacefully beneath a star-filled sky, beautiful…and peaceful. The ocean had a glass-like stillness to it, and the only sounds interrupting the tranquil silence was the gentle lapping of waves against the ship's hull. Lanterns strung in various places cast a warm glow over the entire deck….and it made Dark Magician…seem more like a home than a ship.

Tea sighed and leaned against the railing, relishing the cool breeze on her face. This was what she'd always dreamed of…adventurous days discovering the unknown….and serene nights aboard a familiar vessel.

The girl's azure eyes wandered to the upper deck where Yami stood, gently guiding his ship over the glassy water. His face bore an expression of contentment, peace…and in spite of the perilous journey ahead of them, he looked completely calm. This was what he lived for….the taste of the salty sea air…and the feel of the gentle ocean breeze in his unruly hair.

Tea tentatively wandered up the steps to the upper deck. He tossed her a quick smile before turning his attention back to the sea. Sighing quietly, the brunette leaned against the railing, staring up at the ebony sky filled with the tiny diamonds known as stars.

"Yami…" she began quietly. "Thank you…for coming after me."

She turned to look at him, a slight pinkness illuminating her porcelain cheeks.

"Well, you…" Yami started to give a witty remark…but seemed to think better of it. His haunting blood eyes softened into a warm smile and he murmured, "You're welcome."

The brunette beamed at him, cocking her head as if noticing something she had never seen before.

"You know…this life suits you."

"Heh, yeah…" the rogue's lips twisted into a grin. "I wasn't made for dry land. What about you? Is it the shore…or the sea?"

"I've always loved the sea…" Tea went to stand beside him, leaning against the railing near the steering wheel. "I…even dreamed of a life on it…" she gave a wistful smile and tucked a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear. "But…it was never meant to be…I have…responsibilities in Syracuse."

The thief studied her face thoughtfully. He'd never thought that someone so full of life and adventure…someone so beautiful…could harbor a pain so deep.

"You really have to give it up?"

"Yes…" Tea murmured, and quickly turned her face away.

Yami's heart twisted with sadness. He couldn't imagine having his dream of living a life of thrill taken from him…and now he was talking to someone who'd had that exact thing taken from her. His ruby eyes scanned over her for a moment, wondering what he should say…when he suddenly realized…he didn't need to SAY anything.

Yami moved closer and very gently wrapped his fingers around the girl's hand. She gasped and looked up at him questioningly…but he only smiled. He led her over to the steering wheel and carefully placed her hands onto the pegs of the wooden device. Tea looked up at him with an expression of eager wonder, as if asking permission, and the captain gave her an encouraging smile before releasing her hands.

Tea beamed out at the ocean, tinged silver by the bright star on the horizon. She delicately tilted the wheel this way and that, thinking that…if she closed her eyes…she could almost imagine that this was HER life…but that would mean she would be blocking out Yami…and for some reason, she didn't want to do that.

"You know…" Yami murmured, his deep alluring voice almost making her sleepy. "I've traveled the world…seen things no other man has seen…but nothing…nothing compares to the open sea."

"And…is this what you always wanted?"

The rogue's face became slightly distant and he gave a humorless chuckle.

"Not really…When we were young, Yugi and I used to talk about running away…joining the Royal Navy and serving Syracuse side by side…" he smiled at the memory. "But…as we got older…our lives began to change…WE began to change."

Tea gave him a curious look, urging him to continue. He obliged.

"Our mother died a few years after Yugi was born…and Dad was devastated. As we got older, he always said that Yugi was just like her, sweet and gentle…and I was just like him…fierce…reckless…and often more concerned with my own agenda than that of others…and I got worse as I got older. Dad and I have always clashed…I guess because we're two of a kind…but our last big fight inflicted wounds that…I really don't think will ever be completely healed.

He paused for just a moment before continuing. "We used to have two magicians in our court—Master Mahad and his apprentice Mana. Mana was a very talented young magician…but her power was a bit too great for her to fully control. Because of this, Mahad was always on edge during her lessons, afraid she would inadvertently hurt herself or someone else. So…I told him about a remote part of Syracuse where a sacred shine dedicated to the Egyptian gods was built. Since Father rules over both Egypt AND Greece, he built it there as a sacred site…a sight where people really weren't supposed to go unless they were there to pay respect. I was foolish…and I didn't tell the magicians about this…so they went there to train. Sure enough, Mana was practicing a particularly powerful spell…and it blew up on her. It completely destroyed the shrine…and even killed two of the caretakers inside it. Father was furious…saying that the abolishment of the shrine as well as the loss of two of his devoted citizens…was worthy of death for the perpetrators. I went to him…told him it was MY fault…that only made him angrier. He had me…" the rogue gingerly touched his shoulder, swallowing hard as he remembered the agony of what Tea was sure were whip stripes on his back. "…punished…and continued to hold the decree of their execution. I wasn't about to let that happen…so I snuck them to the port, onto a ship…and out of Syracuse. I gave them a satchel full of gold from the palace treasury so they could get by for quite a while without employment…and watched them sail out of the harbor. The next morning, I told Dad they were long gone and that it was all my doing. He went into a rage, saying that I had betrayed him on every level and stolen from the palace….and he told me to get out…said I was no son of his. I tried to calm him down…but it was futile. He had the guards throw me out onto street. So, I went for a walk through Syracuse, trying to figure out what I could say…what I could DO to get Dad's forgiveness. I ended up at the harbor…where a ship had just docked…a ship with YUGI'S future on it…his future…was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

The girl stared into his face, sad…but fully intrigued.

"What was on the ship?"

Yami turned to look at her, his blood eyes soft…and sorrowful.

"You…" he murmured.

Tea's breath caught in her throat as he continued.

"Yugi met you at the dock…and I felt like…he'd betrayed me… taken something of utmost importance from me…even though he truly he did nothing wrong…So…I jumped on the first outbound ship and never looked back…until now."

The girl stared at him, her face stunned…and her heart twisted with sorrow. So this was why he'd reacted the way he did towards her at the party…why he'd been so indifferent towards Yugi at first…why he was so bitter towards his father. For so long she'd thought he was an arrogant jerk…when in reality, he was a lost boy…striving to fill the holes in his heart with adventure to take his mind off the pain.

Yami gently took her hands in his, pulling her closer to him. He leaned in and allowed his lips to barely brush against hers…not really kissing her…but making her heart pound none-the-less. She understood what he was doing…they couldn't kiss…couldn't reveal their feelings only to be ripped away from each other in the end. Their worlds were separate…different…how could they EVER be together? Yami pulled back and stared into her oceanic eyes, his eyes of fire burning with desire…but knowing that they couldn't….

A sudden flash of light interrupted the moment, making both dejected lovers turn in alarm. All over the ebony sky…stars were streaming forward, all heading for the larger star on the horizon. In their wake, the sky went from black to a purplish red and they all converged into the larger star, bursting into a silvery explosion of light. When the light receded, the star…had been replaced by a gigantic, narrow doorway lined with stones with a glowing silver light in its center.

"The Gates of Tartarus…" Yami murmured, his face set in a grim line.

The other crew members scrambled out of the cabin, racing to the ship railing to get a better look at their final destination. Looking over the side, Yami noted with alarm that the ocean…was beginning to froth in the opposite direction the ship was going…almost as if…

"Joey!" he shouted. "Give me a lookout!"

The blonde nodded and scrambled to climb up to the crow's nest. When he reached the top, he gazed out at the horizon…and nearly fell off his perch. The ocean…literally ended just before the gateway, dropping off into…nothingness.

"We're dead…" Joey croaked and glanced down at Yami. "I-I-It just ENDS Captain! It's da edge of da world!"

Melvin leaned over to his brother and muttered, "Pay up. It's flat."

Marik absently tossed a coin to his twin, unable to take his eyes off the end…the end of the world.

Ryo blinked…then turned to run back. "Okay, time to go…"

"Nuh-uh-uh…" Bakura grabbed his little brother's collar. "The captain hasn't given his orders yet."

The rogue clutched the steering wheel in a vice-like grip, frantically delving through his mind to solve this little development.

"Follow that star…beyond the horizon…beyond the horizon…"

The water at the ocean's end flared upwards like watery flames, no doubt a monument to countless other ships that must have toppled over the edge.

Thinking fast, Yami glanced upward….and gasped when he saw the flag blowing on the mast….blowing…and FLYING. The rogue's face lit up with a grin and Tea raised her brows.

"Yami…?"

The captain didn't explain, looking down at his crew with an all-business air.

"Men! All hands to your posts! Free all sheets! Wait for my command! Go, go, go!"

The men scrambled over each other to accomplish their ordered tasks. Dodging the racing crew members, Bakura called out,

"Yami! H-how are we going to pull this off?"

Yami strode forward purposefully, clapping his companion's shoulder as he went.

"Just trust me. Joey! Rig the main yard to the fors'le!"

"But that would stop us dead!"

"Just do it!"

The blonde sighed and saluted. "Aye, aye, Captain."

The rogue continued, "Slack to all sheets!"

"Aye, Captain!" Ryo responded.

"Cut the fore and main trusses! Move, move, move!"

"Aft yard astern!" the captain raced forward towards the bow.

Tristan stared at him in shock. "But that's—"

"Crazy, I know. Now, hurry! Swing the fors'le to port! Ease the aft! Full hoist to forward sails!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

Yami turned at the unfamiliar crew voice…and grinned when he saw Tea helping to follow his insane orders. With a boost in confidence, he shouted, "PULL!"

The crew strained to raise Dark Magician's sails. The rogue stared out at the rapidly approaching edge, heart pounding.

"Tie off all sails! All hands to amidships!" He let out a breath as Tea came to stand beside him and murmured, "Now….pray to the gods…we may be meeting them soon…"

Dark Magician eased forward….and began to lean out over the edge of the ocean. Nothingness loomed beneath them, seeming to reach out with its cruel fingers to drag another ship downward into its inescapable clutches.

"We're gonna die!" Joey whimpered and covered his head with his arms as if it would protect him.

The ship cruised…and began to dip downward towards the endless abyss. Yami wrapped his arm around Tea's waist, shouting, "Hang on! Grab the rope!"

Kuriboh squeaked fearfully as the ship dipped lower and lower. The captain gritted his teeth with anxiety.

"Come on!"

As if on cue, the ship completely fell off of the ledge…and the crimson sails finally did their part. They caught the wind, holding it up…as if it were flying. The sail ropes grew taught….and Dark Magician soared forward, like a gigantic bird.

Yami clutched the railing and gaped in shock.

"It…it worked…?"

"Yami…" Bakura chuckled and shook his head. "You did it."

The gateway loomed closer and closer, radiating with eerie light, mist, and a few crackles of lightening. Unfortunately…it was at that exact moment that one of the ropes holding the sails in their wing-like position…snapped, proving the captain's fear that his flying machine wouldn't last long.

"Marik, hard to port! Bakura!" he rushed over to his first mate and seized a rope.

"Aye?"

Wrapping the rope in a loop around his waist, the rogue said,

"If I don't make it, the ship is yours."

"No…" Bakura's face grew shocked…and sad.

Yami grinned and looked at the rest of his crew, saying,

"Gentlemen…it's been a privilege robbing with you."

All of the crew members stared at him with sorrowful expressions, but the rogue only gave them his usual cocky smirk and headed towards the bow. One person, however…stood in his place.

"I'm coming with you," Tea said, a determined gleam in her sapphire eyes. "And don't tell me the Realm of Chaos is no place for a woman.

Yami smirked…and tossed his rope loop over her. He pulled it tight, bringing her torso tightly against his with a sly grin.

"I would never say that…" he smirked…and she beamed.

An urgent squeaking caught their attention. Kuriboh bounced on the deck, holding the rope in his furry mouth and tossing it over his own tiny body.

"Hey, sorry pal…" Yami smiled fondly, removing the rope from his pet. "Not this time."

Kuriboh whined and bent his head dejectedly, while the two lovers faced the Gates of Tartarus. The light was far more intense now, almost blinding…and who knew what waited on the other side.

Yami held out his hand, Tea slipped hers into it…and the two took off in a run, leaping over the side of the ship. They swung forward through the space of nothingness….until they soared directly into the strange light.

The crew members leaned over edge, waiting….and gasping when the rope swung back towards the ship…with NO ONE…attached to it.

Yami and Tea soared down through the grotesque dimension. It was a star-filled place with strange symbols and peach-colored clouds swirling through it. They passed several creatures that looked as if they were made of…constellations. Finally, the sand appeared below them.

Yami wrapped his arms around Tea, shielding her head from the inevitable painful thud….but it never came.

Instead, they floated a moment…before gently landing on the ground. They were in a desert….but the desert flowed and rose up and down like an ocean, making it nearly impossible for them to stand. Rising out of the sandy depths, a large ship skeleton turned over, nearly crushing them…before vanishing. Hundreds of petrified soldiers rose up, their spears wickedly pointed…but they too disappeared.

Wrapping his arms around the girl's waist, Yami struggled to keep both of them standing…and gasped when yet another structure revealed itself. It was a large necropolis which rose out of the sand…and vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

An ominous growling caught the youths' attention, and they both caught their breaths when those constellation creatures from before materialized. They were massive…and looked angry. The rogue drew his swords, ready for a fight to the finish…but it was not necessary. Instead, a wry voice called out,

"Now, now, my pets…is that any way to treat a guest?"

The monsters spun in midair and disappeared into a cloud of swirling sand. In fact, the entire atmosphere around them disappeared, replaced by a crumbling temple. A lone stone chair rested near several broken pillars…with a skeleton sitting atop it.

"Okay…" Yami muttered. "I'm severely creeped out…."

"Bravo…" the voice sounded again.

A cloud of sand began to swirl near the chair….and out of it stepped…Vivian, a none-too-pleasant smile…twisting her face.

**Hope you liked and please review :)! I know I changed the love scene with Sinbad and Marina a bit, but I couldn't resist XD.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


	9. Thief or Hero?

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**

**Here's the ninth and final chapter :)!**

**Sunrise Phoenix: Haha, yep, VERY ugly XD. Sorry, I meant that I'll be working on some non-fanfiction projects I have to do that may interfere with how often I get to update my next story :).**

**Sailorblaze: I'm so sorry if I gave you the impression I wasn't reading your reviews…I read all of my reviews and I'm extremely sorry if I made you feel otherwise :). The next story will be based on the Lion King because Aknadin will be responsible for Aknamkanon's death and Prince Atem will run away, thinking it's his fault. I will most likely have my own Shadow Game at the end too :).**

**Bakura: Am I going to be in it?  
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**BlackRose: Yes, and you will be one of the villains.**

**Bakura: FINALLY!**

**BlackRose: *Petting his head* But for now, you have to be a good kitty.**

**Bakura: DON'T BLOODY TOUCH ME!**

**Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks :)! I want to do Aladdin SOOOO badly, but I think someone else has done a version of it where Tea is the "street rat" and Atem is the Prince. I haven't seen either of the sequels. Also, I think Sleeping Beauty is an AWESOME idea and I'll either give it an Egyptian Yugioh twist or possibly a story in Atlantis with Timaeus and Tallea (YamiXTea Atlantis versions) if I end up doing it :). I'm starting to lean towards the Atlantis thing just to make it different XD.**

**MutantEnemy6789: Thanks :)! Yeah, apparently Marik, Pegasus, Dartz, and every other villain was good enough to be saved but NOT Bakura XD. **

**Scaevola2: Thanks :)! Haha, thankfully I've managed not to type "tarter sauce" so far…but it's not over yet XD! I agree about the drooling dog thing LOL (as much as I love dogs, I'm not a fan of their spit XD).**

Vivian emerged from the sandy cloud, clapping her hands and smiling in a sardonic manner. She was wearing a long, sleeveless dress of dark purple which flowed as if it were part of her intangible body, and her eyes, normally brown…had an almost red tint to them. Though hers….lacked the beauty of Yami's blood-colored irises…hers instead shone with a glint of evil intent.

"No mortal has ever made it to Tartarus before…" the woman said, perching her hip on the chair with the skeleton. She let out a cruel giggle and added, "…ALIVE that is…"

The goddess's body vanished along with the skeleton and she reappeared in its place on the stone chair. Crossing her legs, she leaned back in a seductive manner and purred, "Make yourselves at home…"

Yami felt Tea's fingers dig into his arm, her entire body tensing with fear, and he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Thank you…um…nice place you got here."

"Like it?" Vivian smiled and materialized a few feet in front of them. She waved a wispy hand around at the destruction and said, "I'm planning on doing the whole WORLD this way."

The rogue paled.

"Wow…that's a…good plan. Well, I can see that you are busy, so listen, we'll just take the Book of Peace and get out of your way."

Vivian let out a laugh that sent shivers down both adventurers' spines.

"What makes you think I have it?" she asked with an air of incredulity.

"Uh, well, you FRAMED me for the theft so they would execute me."

"You?'

"Yeah…?"

The woman looked at him and raised her eyebrows, obviously trying to make him think…think about that past events….think about….

"No…" Yami's breath caught in his throat. "Yugi…you KNEW he would take my place…"

The woman chuckled and ran her finger over one of the still-intact pillars, creating a large crack as she went. "What a clever young man you are…"

He continued. "You thought I'd run…then Yugi would die…and Syracuse would be—"

"Left without the next rightful king, seeing as YOU got yourself disowned…" the goddess completed, sauntering down the steps and giggling as the pillar she'd cracked broke apart and fell to the ground. "Then Syracuse would tumble into GLORIOUS chaos. You humans are SO predictable."

She floated down between the duo, clasping her hands together in a mocking manner and ignoring the glare from Tea.

"Yugi couldn't HELP being ever so noble…" she leapt forward and pressed the tips of her fingers against Yami's chest. "And YOU couldn't help betraying him."

"But I DIDN'T betray Yugi!" the rogue shot back. "I didn't run away!"

"Oh, but you DID betray him….you STOLE the woman HE was supposed to marry!" Vivian swirled behind Tea and shoved the girl forward, knocking her into Yami's arms. "Look at her, Yami! He's not even in his grave yet and you're moving in on HIS girl!"

Yami held the brunette in his arms, gazing down at her beauteous face….and he realized…maybe the goddess was right…maybe he…

"Face it…" Vivian leaned in to whisper cruelly to him. "Your heart…is as BLACK as mine."

"You're wrong about him!" Tea turned in Yami's arms and pressed her back against his chest, as if she could shield him from the other woman's harsh words.

"He KNOWS I'm not," was the goddess's cool reply.

"You don't know what's in his heart!"

"Oh, yes I do…and more importantly…so does HE."

Vivian swam forward, shoving the girl out of the way and circling the captain…just like a lioness stalks her prey.

"In your heart, you KNOW that Yugi is going to die…" she flowed around him, sliding her hands over his shoulders seductively. "…all because he saw something in you that just…WASN'T…THERE." She lightly whacked the back of his head to emphasize her point.

"NO," the rogue said firmly, shuddering out of her cold, cruel grip.

Vivian cocked her head in an attempt at looking innocent.

"You wanna bet? I'll tell you what…let's play a GAME. And if you win, I'll give you the Book of Peace."

She raised her hand and the devastated temple crumbled away so that only a section of the stone floor was left. This section stretched out into the expanse of sand and nothingness like a precarious bridge…and at the end of the bridge…floated the Book of Peace.

"There it is, 'noble hero'."

Yami gasped and started to step forward…only to have part of the bridge collapse at the side of his feet.

"Not so fast," the goddess warned. "My game had rules, Yami." She slid around and placed her hand on his shoulder. The rogue noted with confusion that her dress had morphed from purple to red…but decided it wasn't important.

"I'll ask you a question," she explained. "ONE simple question. If you answer truthfully, the Book is yours."

"Give me your word," Yami growled, blood eyes narrowing.

Vivian stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Oh…you still don't trust me…"

"Uh…NO."

"Isn't it a pity we live in such SKEPTICAL times? Oh, all right…" she crossed her finger over her heart, creating the familiar glowing X. "You have my word…as a goddess. Fair enough?"

Yami glanced at Tea. She briefly touched his arm, fear evident in her eyes, but nodded, urging him onwards. The rogue returned her gesture and stepped forward, jaw set in a determined line.

"Ask your question."

"Excellent…" the woman said, and floated over to the Book. She opened it slightly, letting some of the comforting light flow out and announced, "Now we all know what happens if you get the Book of Peace. You return to Syracuse and save Yugi…" she said the last two words with a disgusted curl of the lip, then closed the Book. "But if you DON'T get the Book…you have a CHOICE to make."

She floated back over and sauntered around the youth and his lover.

"Either sail to paradise with the woman of your dreams…or return to Syracuse to die….you're either a black-hearted THIEF…or a brave-hearted HERO. So here is my question, Yami." She floated backwards into the air, thoroughly relishing the pained expression on his face. "If you DON'T get the Book….will you go back to die…?"

The woman's body slowly dissipated into thin air….but Yami knew she could still hear him. He hung his head, thinking hard. How was he supposed to answer this? How could ANYONE put himself in this situation…and come up with a timely solution to it.

The rogue sighed and cast a quick glance at Tea. Her face, radiant as ever, was sorrowful…fearful…and filled with affection for him. Yami took a deep breath…and allowed a smile to work itself onto his face.

"I will go back," he said, and took a tentative step forward. The bridge remained solid. He took another step…and another…and just as he was reaching out to grab the Book…a sickening crack sounded.

Vivian appeared beside him, a maddeningly cruel grin on her face.

"You're LYING!" she cackled…as the bridged began to crumble beneath his feet.

"No!" Yami tried to seize the Book…but it was too late. The bridge beneath him began to collapse…and he and Tea fell into darkness…the last thing they saw of that horrid dimension…being the wicked glow of Vivian's unearthly eyes.

Yami and Tea fell through darkened space until they finally landed on a small island just outside the gates of Tartarus. It was dark out, and a gloomy, cold mist had settled over the ocean. The only light was that coming from the center of the Gates…but that too diminished.

The defeated adventurers sat at the water's edge…doing nothing…saying nothing. What was there to say? Their mission had failed…and as Vivian said, an impossible choice now lay before them.

After a moment, Yami murmured, "I'm sorry, Tea…Vivian is right about me."

"No she's not!" the girl replied with hard certainty. "You answered her question. You told the truth."

The rogue shook his head, leaning his forearm on his knee.

"It wasn't the truth…" his voice grew low. "It was me trying to pass myself off as something I'm not."

Tears welled in the girl's eyes.

"Yami, I've SEEN who you are! You don't NEED to pretend! Vivian trapped you!" the tears worked their way into her voice as she added, "Why should YOU or YUGI or ANYONE have to die!"

"Tea…"

"No!" she cut him off, leaping to her feet with a frantic air. "You need to escape! Get as far away as you can. I'll go back, I'll explain everything!"

"No, Tea…" Yami stood up. He hated seeing her this way…so scared…so frantic…so scared…and all for HIS sake."

Tea stared at him, her shoulders trembling and her eyes streaming with tears.

"I can't watch you die!" she sobbed, staring right into those sorrowful eyes of blood. "I love you…"

The rogue blinked, ruby eyes widening. The brunette let out a choked sob and looked away. He could tell she truly meant what she said…she DID love him…perhaps a part of her…had ALWAYS loved him…just like he'd loved her from the first moment he saw her. He looked out at the ocean, catching a glimpse of Dark Magician cruising towards the island to pick them up.

Yami sighed and tenderly cupped Tea's cheek, turning her face to look at him. Her sapphire eyes were reddened, staring at him with brokenhearted hopelessness…and he felt as though his own heart might break in two.

"But….could you love a man who would run away?" the rogue whispered.

The brunette's breath hitched, a single silvery tear running down her porcelain skin. Yami gently thumbed it away before pulling her into his arms. She cried softy against his shoulder while he rocked her back and forth, one arm around her waist and the other stroking her chocolate hair. Yami looked out at the ocean…at Dark Magician…then quickly turned his attention back to the girl in his arms. He had to focus on her…to hold her while he could…because he would never be able to do so again…when he returned to his homeland.

Back in Syracuse….Yugi's execution was merely moments away. He stood at the execution block, staring out at the sunset. It was beautiful, golden and casting rays of warm light onto the sky and water…but that didn't matter now.

Hundreds of officials and soldiers stood in the background, tearfully watching their prince preparing to face his death…but he did so honorably. Pushing aside his cape whipping about in the wind, he dropped to his knees….and slowly leaned his head onto the cruel stone.

Yugi let out an involuntary gasp when he saw the glimpse of the executioner's axe, but forced himself to remain silent after that. He would not go down shamefully in front of his people.

In the crowd, Aknamkanon stared for a moment, but had to turn away. He couldn't watch this…couldn't watch another loved one die…

The executioner raised his axe…and out of nowhere, a spinning dagger sliced through it, knocking the blade end off and onto the block just in front of the prince's nose. The crowd let out a collective gasp and Yugi sat up in alarm…just in time to see Yami and his crew climbing onto the platform.

Yami strode towards his brother, grinning at the younger boy's shocked expression.

"I bet you thought I wouldn't make it."

Yugi rubbed his throat and grinned sheepishly, saying,

"I was beginning to wonder…"

The brothers both laughed and embraced each other…however there was one pressing matter left to be discussed.

"The Book?"

"I…I did my best…" the rogue murmured sadly. "It…wasn't enough."

Yugi's face twisted with sadness and shock as he murmured,

"No…you came back anyway…?"

"How could I do anything less…my brother?"

The prince squeezed his older shoulder. He let a single tear run down his face before stepping backwards. There was nothing that could be done…the decree was made…and there was no changing it.

Yami gazed out at the crowd. Most of it consisted of the angry faces of people who thought he was guilty…but he saw a few he recognized. His crew…all being held back by a devastated looking Bakura….Aknamkanon….looking still-shocked at his estranged son's unexpected return, but horrified at the prospect of his death…and Tea. She stood with Kuriboh, looking as if she were about to burst into tears again…and Yami finally had to turn away. He couldn't let her heartbroken face be his last sight…he wanted to think her the way she'd been days before…happy…witty….adventurous.

Taking a deep breath, the thief…no…the hero stepped forward…dropped to his knees…and placed his neck on the stone. Having lost his axe, the executioner raised a sword, its silver blade glinting wickedly in the sunset.

The crew members gasped, while Yugi clenched his fists. Kuriboh whined and tried to bounce forward, but Tea held him back, hugging him close and burying her face in his fur.

Yami closed his eyes….the sword came down….and shattered just before it touched his neck. The youth blinked in surprise, staring at the hundreds of tiny blade fragments floating through the air while the executioner gaped in confusion at his bladeless hilt.

The sky above Syracuse began to swirl with dark, ominous clouds while the crowd murmured anxiously. Shouting at them to get back, Aknamkanon gasped in awe as a black cyclone dipped down out of the sky, touching the ocean before diminishing and spraying the entire crowd with sea water.

Out of the sea…rose the gigantic, livid-looking form…of Vivian. Yugi gasped and Bakura stepped protectively in front of Tea as the woman glared down…at Yami.

"How…DARE you?" she snarled, leaning threateningly close to him. "Everything was going perfectly…and NOW…YOU DO THIS!" she shrieked and knocked the chopping block off the platform and into the ocean.

"Vivian…" Yami said breathlessly, stepping backwards slightly. "I don't understand…."

"DON"T…play coy with me…" the goddess forced herself to stop shouting. "Maybe you can fool these people…but I know who you are…you're a SELFISH…UNPRINCIPLED…LIAR!"

"Wait a minute…I didn't lie…I came back. THAT'S why you're here! This was all part of your test—I told the truth!"

Vivian rolled her eyes with disgust as his blood eyes gleamed with triumph.

Arching an ebony eyebrow, Yami added, "And wasn't there something about being…'bound for all eternity'?"

The silver X glowed on the goddess's chest and her eyes flashed red with anger. She stretched up to her full height, raising her fist as if to bring it down upon all of the people of Syracuse….but alas she could not. She was bound…and had to keep her word. With a sigh of irritation, the woman slowly lowered her fist…and opened it to reveal the glowing Book of Peace.

Slowly, tentatively, Yami took the Book from her hand. He ran a hand over its azure cover, before looking up and saying, "Well, well, well…this has GOT to be a LITTLE embarrassing for you, Vivian."

The woman chuckled softly and leaned her head down to his level.

"Don't push your luck, Yami…you're cute…but not THAT cute." She shrank down to her mortal size and rubbed against him before floating backwards. "Lucky for you, I've got places to go…things to destroy…stuff to steal…Ta!"

With that…Vivian vanished into thin air. Yami held the Book in his hands and looked back to the crowd. All of them, including the people he didn't know, were grinning happily. The hero ran his hands along the Book's edge and glanced at Yugi, asking permission. The prince nodded smilingly.

Yami slowly opened the cover, staring fixatedly at the blue pages and flowing symbols. He then raised it above his head…and grinned as the life-giving light shot out of it. Immediately, all color began to flow back into Syracuse. The shadowed sky turned blue again…the buildings reclaimed their beauteous, bright look…and the wonderful feeling of tranquility…finally returned in the hearts of everyone.

When the light show finally ended, Yami fell to his knees in exhaustion, grinning down at the Book of Peace. Yugi approached him and beamed, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

"You know…" the prince began. "For what it's worth…I think the council believes you now."

Both boys glanced at the aforementioned group, all of whom looked frazzled. Aknaden's headdress even fell onto the ground, but he was too shocked to retrieve it.

"You think?" Yami chuckled….and gasped when his father approached him.

"Father…." He croaked out, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. He handed Aknamkanon the Book…and mentally groaned when the king handed it to the guards. That meant…he was going to talk to his estranged son.

"Yami…" the man began. "I offer you…the gratitude of the Twelve Cities…and the apology of a king…as well as that of your father…I am sorry."

Yami shrugged, trying to ignore the pain building up within him. "It's fine…I didn't figure you'd believe I didn't steal the Book anyway…"

"Not that, though I apologize for that as well."

The youth stared at him in confusion and the king continued.

"I am sorry…for EVERYTHING I have done to hurt you…" he hung his head and his voice shook slightly. "I was a fool…a selfish, emotional fool…you see…after your mother died…I was furious with myself…I felt like I should've taken better care of her when she became ill…but was to hungry for adventure to do so…and when I looked at you…I saw myself. It made me angry…and because of that, I treated you deplorably…and I am sorry. It is not an excuse, I know…but I am sorry none-the-less. I love you…I've always loved you, my son."

Aknamkanon then reached out, and pulled his son into a tight embrace. Yami tensed at first…but finally settled into the embrace…his heart…feeling as though at least some of the sting had been taken away. His father had forgiven him…and perhaps…some day…Yami could completely forgive him as well.

Finally, the king pulled away and Yugi came up to clap his hand on his sibling's shoulder. "Come on. This is going to be a heck of the party. Everyone's going to want to hear about the voyage."

The captain smiled but shook his head.

"Fair winds…calm seas…nothing much to tell."

Yugi chuckled incredulously and inquired, "What's wrong? Is it no fun if you're actually invited?"

Yami crimson eyes wandered to Tea…and he quickly looked away.

"No, it's just, uh…there's a hammock in Fiji with my name on it."

Yugi smiled, shook his head, and clasped his brother's hand.

"Good sailing, Yami," he said with a smile.

The hero started to walk away, but turned around and teasingly said,

"Get a haircut. You're gonna be king someday."

"I'll cut mine when YOU cut YOURS," was Yugi's teasing reply.

The captain walked towards the ledge leaning down to Dark Magician and his crew slowly followed. Bakura placed a hand on Tea's shoulder, gazing down at her sadly while Joey grabbed her hand in his, whimpering softly. Kuriboh whined and rubbed up against her…before unhappily following his master.

Yugi waved down at his brother before turning back to face Tea…and gasping. The girl was standing there, form trembling…until finally she buried her face in her hands and raced away.

While the party went on that evening, Tea stood on the balcony of the palace, staring out at the ocean…and Dark Magician's familiar sails preparing to leave the harbor. She let out a miserable sigh…and jumped when someone spoke,

"Just another uneventful day in Syracuse," Yugi said, coming to stand beside her.

The girl forced herself to smile, not taking her eyes off the ocean.

The prince studied her for a moment, then murmured,

"You know…I stood here with a young woman once. She looked over the ocean…and wished she could sail beyond the horizon. She saw…such wonder."

Tea sighed and hung her head sadly. "And what…happened to this woman?"

"She got her chance…she sailed the seas…" the prince smiled and gave her a knowing look. "And…she fell in love."

The girl's breath caught in her throat. Had she really been that obvious?

"Yugi, I—"

"Tea…" Yugi placed his hands on her shoulders. "You must follow your heart. We've never loved each other…but I care about you enough to tell you that you cannot spend your life heartbroken with me. Go…go after him…and follow your heart on the open sea."

Tears streamed down Tea's face as she threw her arms around his neck in a grateful embrace. "Thank you…" she whispered, before racing off to the harbor.

Yugi smiled and stared out at the ocean for a moment. He was sad that he wouldn't get to spend time with Tea as often as he used to…but happy that she finally found someone to love. Sighing, he turned…and ran smack into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh! D-don't, worry, Your Highness, the fault is mine…" said a feminine voice.

Yugi blinked…and found he was staring into the face of a beautiful young woman. She had long, blonde hair, bright blue green eyes that shown with intelligence, and a sweet smile.

Helping the girl to her feet, he said, "I do not believe we've met. You are…?"

"Rebecca," she replied, with a blushing smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Yugi."

The prince smiled and kissed her hand, saying, "The pleasure is all mine…Rebecca."

Yami stared out at the City of Syracuse Kuriboh whimpered softy and the captain stroked the creature's head absently. There was no denying the incredible sadness he felt…the loneliness.

"Captain?" Bakura's voice interrupted his thoughts. "We're ready to sail."

"All right, Bakura…take us out."

"Aye-aye, Captain. Cast off!"

The ship slowly set off out of the harbor, the setting sun…making the crimson sails almost glow. The hero finally forced himself to stop staring at Syracuse, going to hang on one of the ropes and look out at the horizon. Suddenly, a rope dropped onto his head and he groaned.

"Joey!"

"What?"

Yami looked over…and gasped when he saw the blonde standing at the wheel, cocking his head innocently. He couldn't have dropped the rope…so who…?

"Excuse me, Captain!"

The hero looked up…and gasped when he beheld…Tea. The girl was looking down at him from the crow's nest and grinning.

"You need to replace these rig joints pretty soon. The mizzen ropes need the support."

He gaped in shock…and a grin lit up his face.

"These joints were from the Jasmine Sea. That's halfway around the world"

The brunette leaned her hand against the mast and cocked her hip slyly, saying,

"Then we'd better get started."

The captain sliced through the support rope he was holding, causing it to launch him up to the mast. Walking towards the girl, he murmured,

"Well, you know…that means going through the Hydra's lair…the Minotaur's haven…the Cyclop's den…Under the Swansea Bridge…through the China Seas…that's an AWFULLY long voyage…and it's very…VERY dangerous."

Tea grinned and cocked a teasing eyebrow. "Don't worry…I'll protect you."

Finally…he couldn't take it anymore. Yami wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed his mouth against hers. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, sliding his hands down to her hips and shoving her against the mast. All the passion, the pain, the love they had felt were so long came out in that kiss…and they relished every minute of it. They kissed for a moment longer….before a catapult-launched Kuriboh knocked both of them down.

The two lovers laughed good naturedly as the little creature rubbed up against them, not caring that he had just interrupted their kiss. They would have the rest of their lives….for adventure…thrill…and quite a bit of romance.

**I hope you enjoyed this fic and please review :)! All or your comments and advice were greatly appreciated :). I may do a few one-shots before I work on my Lion King based story, but I'm not sure yet :).**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS**


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